


Doth Thou Even Steal Hearts?

by BukuBuku



Series: Thieves Den [1]
Category: Persona 5, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: All Personas Have A Personality, But Mostly in MHA, Class 1-A Friendship (My Hero Academia), Don't copy to another site, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Joker Has A+ Acting, Multiple Crossovers, Nezu Will Adopt This Chaotic Child One Way Or Another, Phantom Thieves Stuck In Different Worlds, Protective Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Protective Morgana, Protective Tsukauchi Naomasa, Stranded, Thanks Yaldaboath
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:53:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 215,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23989186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BukuBuku/pseuds/BukuBuku
Summary: “Foolish mortals!” Yaldabaoth’s shadow fell over them like a death shroud, “The sin of rebelling against a god is severe. As punishment, I banish you to other worlds unknown!”Something changed in the air, like the snap charge of electricity after a thunder strike. No, this was more than that. The world shifted and changed and contorted, the weave of fate was unnaturally pulled by the God Of Control, creating fractals in the flow of time and space.Joker’s teammates gasped as bizarre, otherworldly doors came into existence.One, a pair of silver doors with alien markings, cracked open just a hair to reveal a large, terrifying eye. Another, a glowing paper door that would be at home in any vintage Japanese mansion. The third, a grand golden gate decorated with eyes and horned demons, bubbling black sludge dripped from its maw like tar. The final one was a fluctuating cloud of purple and black mist.*Next chapter on March 6th!*
Relationships: Aizawa Shouta & Joker, Amamiya Ren & Morgana (Persona Series), Class 1-A & Joker, Gentle & Joker, La Brava & Joker, League of Villains & Joker, No Romantic Relationship(s), Phantom Thieves & Yaldaboath, Shinsou Hitoshi & Joker, Tsukauchi Naomasa & Joker
Series: Thieves Den [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940890
Comments: 4040
Kudos: 3632
Collections: Best Fics From Across The Multiverse, Marigolds Discord Recs, Mixed_Fics, Quality Persona Fics, Time Travel and World Travel, Treasure_Box





	1. Interrogation Room

Cramped, stale, and uncomfortable.

That would be the description of the cold interrogation room he found himself in. The hard chair dug into his back and the cuffs locked around his wrists were bound to the table, a few experimental tugs did nothing to soothe his sore wrists. Honestly, he would prefer his cell in the Velvet Room compared to this hole. He glanced at the one-way mirror on the opposite wall and grinned. There were eyes on the other side of that mirror, he dearly hoped that they were unsettled by his appearance.

His hair, while not that surprising, was a ruffled, curly mess. Grime and dust stained his face, and there was a spider webbing crack in his mask, right underneath his left eye. Despite everything, his costume remained mostly intact, except his shoulder still burned from the bullet wound. The police didn’t seem to care about it, but they at least had the decency to wrap it up in gauze, he ignored the crimson splotch that stained it. 

A simple Dia would have him all fixed up in no time, yet he couldn’t breach the strange fog that clouded his mind when he called upon his persona. They were distant and slipped through his fingers like smoke whenever he tried to reach them.

The chains around his wrist clinked when he threw his head back with a sigh. Had it been seconds?

Minutes?

_Hours?_

That had passed since they threw him in here? He had lost count.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as the door swung open and two people stepped inside. One, a plain-looking detective in a brown trench coat, and two, a cat-headed police officer. It was a strange sight.

Things hadn’t made sense since their arrival, so he plastered on a confident smirk as the detective took the seat opposite of him. A thin folder was set on the table and the detective dug a small notebook and pen from his coat pocket. He looked exhausted, but there was a kind smile on his face.

“We’ll try to keep this short. My name is Tsukauchi Naomasa.” The detective said, “We haven’t been able to find anything about you in our system. So, for starters, why don’t you tell us your name?”

“Hmm?” His playful smirk fell into something cold, “Straight to questioning? No drugs or beatings this time? I have to say, detective, I’m a bit touched to see someone like you care so much.”

Tsukauchi flinched back as if he was struck, “Were you mistreated by the police force before?”

His confidence returned like a thick veil that coated the room, he simply shrugged, but held back the wince from the burning pain in his shoulder. Tsukauchi and the feline officer exchanged uneasy glances, but the detective cleared his throat and plastered on a tense smile.

“We’ll investigate it if you give us names. I want to assure you that you won’t come to any harm while you’re in our custody, and we’ll even give you a lighter sentence if you cooperate with us.”

“Yeah, tell that to the cowboy who shot up my shoulder,” He tilted his head to the side, “And the only person I’ll cooperate with is Sae Niijima.”

Tsukauchi and the officer looked at each other in confusion, then the detective turned to him with a furrowed brow.

“Who?”

“You don’t know your own public prosecutor?”

“The name doesn’t sound familiar,” Tsukauchi glanced over at the officer, “But Officer Tamakawa will look her up for you.”

Tamakawa nodded and left the room doused in an awkward silence. Tsukauchi pretended to flip through his notebook and the folder had yet to be touched. He knew they should have a stuffed profile, but it appeared that they didn’t have anything on him. Still, the ear ringing silence dragged on longer and longer, and sheer boredom and curiosity finally got the better of him. 

“Hey detective,” Tsukauchi glanced up at him, “I’ll make a deal with you.”

“Go on.” Interest sparked in his eyes, and he sat up straight with his pen at the ready.

“I’ll tell you my name if you tell me what you did with Mona.”

“Mona?” Tsukauchi tapped his pen against his pad, “Oh, you mean your cat?”

He gave Tsukauchi a blank look, and the detective sighed.

“Your cat is still cooped up in a different interrogation room. Don’t worry, he’ll be in good hands after all of this is over.”

“Oh, I’m not worried.” A small chuckle escaped before he could stop it, “Mona can take care of himself if it comes to that.”

The detective’s eyes widened, “You really believe that, don’t you?”

He didn’t answer, instead, a smooth grin slithered into his expression.

Tsukauchi sighed as his shoulders sank, almost as if he was used to dealing with odd situations like this.

“So, your name?”

Oh, wasn’t this the fun part? His smirk grew, and he leaned forward onto the table. The chains ground against the metal table, but that didn’t seem to bother the detective as he mimicked the movement.

“Joker.”

He expected the detective’s eyes to light up with recognition, or have some semblance of surprise. But no, there was nothing of sort, just a confused tilt of the head at the infamous leader of the Phantom Thieves. The detective wrote it down nonetheless.

“Joker? No offense, but I wouldn’t choose that name for a new villain.”

Joker reeled back, and the sudden movement startled Tsukauchi. He took in Joker’s wide eyes and his all knowing smirk was wiped clean from his face. Tsukauchi glanced at the one-way mirror, then back at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re saying you’ve never heard of me?”

“No, I haven’t.” Tsukauchi searched Joker’s face with a frown.

Joker was about to respond, but the opening door interrupted him. Officer Tamakawa looked troubled, and his fur stood on end as he picked up the sharp tension in the room.

“Did you find Niijima?” Tsukauchi asked as the officer approached the table.

“No. There isn’t, or ever was, a public prosecutor by the name of Sae Niijima. I even called around the surrounding prefectures to make sure.” The cat turned towards Joker, “Are you sure you have the right name?”

Joker’s heart pounded like a war drum and his hands sweat beneath his gloves.

“Are you sure you didn’t give me any drugs?” He forced a teasing lilt to his voice, “Or maybe _I’m_ not the one who felt the prick of a dirty needle.”

The officer rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms.

“So,” Tsukauchi ignored them, “This nonexistent prosecutor of yours isn’t going to help you. Your only chance at a lighter sentence is to cooperate with us, so I suggest that you answer my questions.”

“She’s a real person and a badass prosecutor at that,” Joker said as he relaxed back in the chair, “I’ve spoken to her several times.”

Tsukauchi’s head snapped up at that. He searched Joker’s face as if he tried to see through a lie, but found none. Tamakawa’s ears flicked, and he gave the detective an odd look before glancing back at Joker with suspicion in his eyes.

“When did you speak with her last?”

“Does it matter?”

“Possibly, but I see you won’t answer that either.” Tsukauchi sighed, and wrote the name down, “So Joker, what’s your quirk? “

What the hell was a quirk? It seemed to be a common term by the way these two ogled at him. Joker desperately lacked information about this strange place, and he could almost hear Oracle’s teasing voice in the back of his mind.

His heart lurched. He hoped his friends were alright, wherever they ended up.

“Information should be a fair trade, detective,” Joker said, his gray eyes pierced through the other man, “Why don’t you two tell me what your quirks are first?”

The detective pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked at the officer. Tamakawa gave Joker a bewildered look, his fuzzy ears twitched and swiveled like a real cat. What would Mona have to say about that?

“Well, mine should be obvious.” Tamakawa said, “Feline mutation quirks are pretty common in Japan.”

Joker filed that information away for later. If there were cat mutations, who knows what else there could be? He’s only been here a short while, but that could explain the many strange things he’s encountered if he was really outside the metaverse like Mona suggested.

“My quirk is pretty simple. It’s called Polygraph, so I’ll always know if you tell the truth or not.”

Polygraph, huh? Maybe he could work with this.

“Well, I have nothing fancy like that.”

“Don’t lie to us.” Tamakawa suddenly snapped, “There have been several people that witnessed the power of those creatures you control, and you even healed one of the injured during the incident! You can’t sit here and tell us that you don’t have a quirk.”

“I’m not a liar,” Joker tilted his head and smiled, “It wasn’t the work of what you people call quirks.”

“You-”

“He’s telling the truth.” Tsukauchi gaped at Joker, his pen hovered shakily over the paper.

“What? But that’s impossible!”

Joker smirked as he leered at the officer, “You have no idea what’s _really_ impossible, do you?”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Enough.” Tsukauchi glanced at the officer, “Why don’t you step out and get some coffee? I can handle the rest.”

Tamakawa huffed, but he stepped outside without another word. Joker chuckled, and it was worth the pain to see the detective’s bewildered look.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Joker said, though his eyes sparkled with humor, “I just feel sorry for your friend. A good cup of coffee must be hard to get in places like this.”

Tsukauchi deadpanned, and shook his head with a sigh. The room was quiet for a few moments, and the detective used it to gather his thoughts.

“What did you mean when you said your powers weren’t like quirks?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Look, kid,” The detective scrubbed at his eyes, then folded his hands on the table, “We’re getting nowhere fast. I can’t help you unless you help me, so I suggest we stop going in circles and get some answers from one another. Does that sound good?”

Joker didn’t respond and chose to lean back into his chair instead. The font legs hovered a few inches off the floor, and although the chains pulled at his sore wrists, he chose to mask it with a lazy smile.

“...Alright.” Tsukauchi shook his head, “Then I’ll ask the questions. What do you know about the League of Villains?”

“Who?”

“The League of Villains. The ones you were with when you invaded the USJ?”

The chair landed on all fours with a solid _thunk_. It jarred his injury, but it was funny to see the detective flinch backward.

“First off, I never _invaded_ that fancy dome of yours. Second, this league needs a better name and a less creepy leader.” Joker flared his bound hands, the blood-red gloves popped compared to the rest of his dark clothes, “Who in their right mind wears severed hands around their body?”

“Out of curiosity, what would you name it?”

“I don’t know.” Joker scrutinized the detective with narrowed eyes, “Maybe something cool, like the Phantom Thieves.”

No recognition, not even a tiny spark. The detective blinked, and then his shoulders shook with contained laughter. Joker pushed past the serpents that roiled in his stomach and swallowed down the sandy dryness that sprouted in his mouth. Did the Phantom Thieves fall out of existence a second time? He held back the shivers at the thought of his friends vanishing again, amidst panicked screams and pattering rain.

“Alright then.” Tsukauchi chuckled, but his smile fell just as fast, “Back on topic, you’re saying that you’ve never met Shigaraki Tomura before the incident?”

“Nope.”

Tsukauchi narrowed his eyes, “Then how did the League recruit you?”

“I was never ‘recruited’.”

“Okay. I believe you, but other people won’t be so open-minded, even if I tell them about my quirk. They’ll say you had to of know their plans or at least worked with one of their numbers, to have the date and time that Class 1-A would be there.”

Joker’s smile shook, but he kept up his facade. He could use this information for later. Right now, however, he had to clear his name. _Again_. Or find a way to escape, locate Mona and his weapons, and try to find the rest of his friends. He knew he had to step lightly here, but perhaps he could play to this detective’s good side. Detective Tsukauchi seemed like a decent guy, and maybe he could sprinkle in a bit of truth to get past his quirk.

“Look,” Joker pulled his lips down and furrowed his brow, “I’ve never heard of the League of Villains, or of the USJ, or even this U.A. school before today. All I know is that one moment I’m with my friends, the next we’re blindsided by an attack. I blacked out and I was in an unfamiliar place when I came to. Mona was with me, and aside from him, there’s no sign of my other friends.”

Tsukauchi stared at him in shock, “You were attacked by a villain?”

“I suppose you could call it that.”

“It?”

Joker shrugged, and he didn’t bother hiding the wince as his shoulder burned with a vengeance. Tsukauchi’s face softened, and he looked down to write in his little notebook. Tsukauchi missed the quick, triumphant twitch of his lips, and it was gone when he looked back up at Joker.

“Let me get this straight, you were attacked by a villain and knocked unconscious, then woke up during the USJ invasion?”

“Pretty much, quite a boring story without all the bells and whistles though.”

There was no way a normal detective would stay calm if Joker described the God of Control. If Yaldabaoth taught him anything, it was that he learned to play this game, and play it well. He was only lucky that their plan with Niijima paid off in the end, but this was different.

“Were you brought to the USJ _against_ your will?”

Joker rolled his eyes, “That’s what I was trying to tell you before you slapped on these lovely handcuffs and gave me an agonizing bullet wound. Not necessarily in that order, mind you.”

Tsukauchi grimaced. At least the detective had the guts to look apologetic, and he glanced at someone behind the mirror. Joker followed his eyes, his confident smirk was reflected right back at him. 

“That doesn’t explain your costume or your unregistered powers. It’s against the law to hide your quirk or participate in such activities without a license.” Tsukauchi said slowly, “But I concede that you could be just as much a victim as the students who were at the USJ. Do you want to tell me what happened before your arrival there?”

Joker snapped out of his one-way staring contest and raised a brow. This man was giving him a chance. Joker expected the sudden whisper of Lavenza’s voice in his ear, a promise of new power to be forged from this bond with Tsukauchi. But alas, Lavenza’s voice was silent. No confidant was being written, so did that mean his fate was malleable?

…Or did it suggest something much worse?

Tsukauchi would never admit that this boy’s stormy eyes had pierced straight through his heart. There had to be something more to this kid, he held an air of smooth authority that didn’t belong to someone his age. He could practically feel Nezu’s brain going into overdrive from behind the mirror.

Joker’s confidence melted away into a guarded mask, and he sat up straight.

“You wouldn’t believe me, even if I told you.”

Tsukauchi leaned forward, his chair creaked and he never broke eye contact. He picked up his pen and smiled as a challenge rose up in those eyes of his, burning bright like a funerary pyre.

“Try me.”


	2. To Another World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaldabaoth pulls a fast one on our Phantom Thieves.

“So, this is the power that resists Ruin!”

 _“Did we do it!?”_ Oracle’s voice reached their ears, but then she gasped in horror, _“No, wait, it’s power level, it’s-!!”_

The God of Control fluttered his metallic wings to raise himself above the tower over the clouds. Joker was bent over panting, his friends spread out around him, equally exhausted from fighting for their lives, and for those of countless voices below them.

“Dude, it’s still not dead!?” Skull cried.

“H-how do we beat a god?” Queen whispered from beside Joker, face pale and voice shaky, “I thought we almost had him!”

“Get it together people!” Mona leaped in between Joker and Queen, “This is our final battle! What better target to take down than a god who’s grown too arrogant!? I will see my justice through for the sake of the people I care about!”

“Morgana…” Panther whispered in awe.

“The same goes for you guys too!” Mona turned to them with fire in his eyes, “If you’ve decided to take this world from him, then don’t compromise your own ideals!”

Fox stood fully, hand on his sheathed katana, “What an artful way to put it, Mona.”

“Yeah!” Panther flailed her whip and stared at the God in defiance, “We won’t go down so easily! We’re going all out!”

“That’s right!” Noir traced the rim of her hat with one hand, and waved her other in an elegant arc, “We’ve come too far to give up now!”

“My control shall not bow down to Ruin, nor shall the will of the masses overcome my power!” Yaldabaoth stared down at them, his voice resonating with the fabric of reality itself, “I am the ultimate truth of this world, and will not lose to the likes of you mortals!”

 _“Heh, the vanity of this god knows no bounds!”_ Arsene appeared behind Joker in a veil of blue flames, black chains writhed through the air around them, _“Show this failure what it feels like to be purged! Come, unleash my full power!!”_

Joker grasped the chains in front of him, the chill of its unnatural metal seeped past his gloves and sent a wave of goosebumps down his arm.

 _“Wait,”_ Oracle said, _“He’s doing something- GET DOWN NOW!!”_

Joker looked up at Yaldabaoth, and it was that moment of hesitation, that single second of pause. That. Cost. Them. _Everything._

“NO!!”Yaldabaoth flapped his mighty wings.

A burst of black wind swept over the land, and the cries of his friends rang in his ears as the chain was ripped from his grasp. Arsene’s horrible scream reverberated through Joker’s soul, and terror flooded his veins when Arsene’s presence grew silent for the first time ever. The voices far below have ceased their cheers, cut off from life like the snap of a thread.

Oracle fell from the sky as Prometheus was banished, and Skull jumped to catch her. They both tumbled to the ground as the other Phantom Thieves tried to regain their balance.

“What did he do!?” Mona shouted, “I can’t feel my persona!”

“Mine is gone too…” Queen muttered weakly.

“Foolish mortals!” Yaldabaoth’s shadow fell over them like a death shroud, “The sin of rebelling against a god is severe. As punishment, I banish you to other worlds unknown!”

Something changed in the air, like the snap charge of electricity after a thunder strike. No, this was more than that. The world shifted and changed and contorted, the weave of fate was unnaturally pulled by the God Of Control, creating fractals in the flow of time and space.

Joker’s teammates gasped as bizarre, otherworldly doors came into existence.

One, a pair of silver doors with alien markings, cracked open just a hair to reveal a large, terrifying eye. Another, a glowing paper door that would be at home in any vintage Japanese mansion. The third, a grand golden gate decorated with eyes and horned demons, bubbling black sludge dripped from its maw like tar. The final one was a fluctuating cloud of purple and black mist. 

“What is…” Panther stepped back in horror, “What are these!?”

“No,” Oracle, still in Skull’s arms, was pale as a sheet, “This isn’t possible!”

Mona jumped on Joker’s shoulder, “What is it Oracle!? What do you see!?”

“It’s… These are…”

“You have no means of escape, humans.” Yaldabaoth said with a wave of his hand, “Accept your fate with dignity!”

The gates hummed with power as powerful gusts of wind ripped the Phantom Thieves away from one another.

“Skull, Oracle!” Fox cried as the two were blown into the glowing paper door, and it shut with finality.

“Everyone,” Mona dug his little claws into Joker’s shoulder, “Hold on!!”

“Joker!”

Joker whirled around to Queen, arm outstretched. Their fingers just brushed together, but she was ripped away in a violent gale.

“QUEEN!!”

Fox leaped to her aid, and together they fell into the towering silver gate. Joker swore the eye inside narrowed with glee before it slammed shut. Panther and Noir huddled in each other’s arms as they flew through the air, their screams vanished as they were swallowed by the demon gate’s black tar.

“Th-this can’t be happening!” Mona said, “Joker, we have to-!”

“Watch out!”

Joker pulled Mona from his shoulder and wrapped his arms protectively around him, the winds were too strong and threw them like ragdolls.

Yaldabaoth’s laughter would forever haunt him as he fell into the final portal, and his world turned dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to note, I haven't been able to play Royal yet, so as of right now the story will stick to the vanilla Persona 5.
> 
> Also, here's my discord server, in case anybody is curious!
> 
> https://discord.gg/xhaN8YF


	3. Destiny Land

_“Joker…”_

Joker’s eyelids were heavy, his muscles sore as if he had just run a marathon. There was a familiar weight sitting on his chest, but he knew he wasn’t in his bed if the chilly surface at his back was any clue.

 _“Joker, c’mon!”_ Mona’s voice echoed within the darkness, _“Please wake up!”_

His eyes fluttered open, his vision filled with Mona’s relieved face.

“Ah, finally!”

“Mona?” Joker sat up and held his head with a pained grunt, Mona jumped off and circled around him, “Why are you in your normal form? Aren’t we still in the metaverse?”

“I don’t know.” Mona flattered his ears as he huddled beside Joker, “This doesn’t feel like the metaverse, but you have your costume on. Can you still call your personas?”

Joker blinked and looked down on himself. His costume was fully intact, and he shivered as cold droplets pattered on his leather coat. They were in an alley, though it was deceptively clean of any trash. The smell of rain permeated the air and trickled down all around them, but there was something off about it as if their surroundings were somehow artificial. He pinched the bridge of his nose as his headache faded.

“Arsene?”

Relief shot through him when a presence bubbled up in his mind, familiar and reliable.

 _“Trickster.”_ The voice was soft and full of comfort, _“I am still here, as are the others. But we are weak right now and we’re not sure why. Call upon us if you wish, though we’ll be limited in our current state. Be careful.”_

Joker nodded, then turned to Mona’s expectant eyes, “They’re still here, but they’re weakened.”

“At least they’re still with you. Mercurius hasn’t responded to me,” Mona shook his head, then got to his feet, “Let’s move, we could be in danger here.”

“And the others?”

“I don’t know that either, but we all fell into different gates. If anything, we would have heard from Oracle by now.”

“Right…” Joker hauled himself to his feet, and dug out his phone, “What!?”

Mona cocked his head at him, “What’s wrong?”

“My phone is working as it would in the real world, but metaverse app,” Joker narrowed his eyes at his phone as he flicked through it, “It’s gone.”

“Ha! As if some app can compete with _my_ power.” Mona stuck his nose to the sky and closed his eyes.

Several seconds passed and nothing happened. Mona’s tail twitched. Joker stuck his hands into his pockets and watched with a raised brow. Suddenly, Mona’s tail flopped to the ground and his eyes flew open.

“I can’t do it!” He cried, “Why can’t I-!?”

“Can you still turn into a car?”

Mona whirled around to him, “We can’t reach the others or go into the metaverse, and you’re concerned about me turning into a car!?”

“Maybe,” Joker smirked as he half shrugged, “It’s just a question.”

Mona sighed, then looked at the mouth of the alley.

“Well, let’s go try. I’m not really sensing anybody nearby, but let’s keep our guard up.”

“Naturally.”

Mona chuckled and led the way. Joker stepped forward but froze to look down at his feet. His footsteps still rippled with vibrant colors that trailed over the dull concrete, the rainy effect was always amusing to see when exploring the metaverse with his friends. The ground still felt as if he was walking on strangely solid air. They weren’t in the metaverse, so did this happen because he was still had his powers?

“Joker, are you coming?”

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and ran to catch up with Mona. The alleyway gaped open into a street, but there was neither a single person on the sidewalks nor cars driving down the pavement. Lamp posts were dotted up and down the avenue and made the rain glow gold.

“This is eerie,” Mona stepped into a ring of light, “…And no, I can’t turn into a car.”

“Well, let’s just-”

“Shh!”

Joker snapped his jaw shut and stared at Mona with concern. Then, his ears picked up something a few streets away. Battle cries and… an explosion? Not an explosion, there was no heat or light, but vibrations of some form of heavy impact rumbled through the buildings around them.

“Let’s go!” Mona leaped onto Joker’s shoulder. “I’ll have to rely on you to fight because I can’t use my weapons in this form.”

Joker nodded and pulled his dagger from its sheath. They dove back into the alley and crept towards the sound of battle, at each turn they expected to be ambushed by shadows or at least see other people. There were none. Joker pressed his back to the alley wall, now just a few dozen feet away from the commotion.

“Are those other persona users?” Mona whispered.

“I don’t know. They look weird though.”

There were two figures standing in the rain, they looked to be a year or two younger than him. One was donned in a black cape, his black persona was connected to him like an ethereal umbilical cord. Joker looked past his feathery mask to the other one, who had a strange head shaped like a jagged stone. The vibrant red and yellow costume stuck out against the darkness. He was oddly skittish though, his hands wrung together and he bounced on his heels. His eyes darted around and then locked with Jokers.

He waved frantically at his avian companion and pointed at him.

“Another villain. Come out and surrender!” He motioned to some thug who was on the ground, spider-webbing cracks surrounded him, “Or suffer the same fate as him.”

Joker stared at the avian boy’s…. beak? It was moving naturally as if it were flesh and blood instead of a mask. His persona grumbled and grew in size, it’s blazing yellow eyes bored into them with protective ferocity.

“Be careful, I don’t like this,” Mona whispered as Joker stepped out.

“I know.”

Rocky stared at Mona in shock, while Bird Boy glared at them with eyes like burning coals. Joker relaxed back, taking a non-threatening pose despite the dagger in his hand.

“Nice persona.” Joker said as he plastered on an easy smile, “What’s his name?”

“Silence!” Bird Boy snapped, “I don’t know who you are or what game you’re playing at, but it won’t work on us!”

“Suit yourself-”

Joker’s hand whipped to his gun, and two shots echoed through the rainy streets. The kids jolted into battle stances, eyes wide in fear, but they jumped at the sound of bodies collapsing behind them. Rocky whirled around the two weirdos at his feet, groaning in pain and clutching their wounds. A spiked bat and a crowbar fell from their grasp.

“It seems pretty dangerous around here,” Joker twirled his smoking gun around his finger, “Maybe you kids should get to safety.”

“Who are you?” Bird Boy asked as his hovering persona glared down at the pair of thugs.

“Nobody you should be concerned about,” Joker said, brilliant colors splashed around his boots as he dared take a step closer, “But I was hoping you would answer some questions for me.”

Bird Boy scoffed, “You come here, invade _our_ field trip, and have the gall to ask questions.”

“Field trip?” Joker cocked his head to the side.

Rocky huddled closer to his companion, and pulled on his cape like a child would their mother’s skirt. Bird Boy looked at him, Joker couldn’t understand Rocky’s wild hand movements, but he ended with jabbing a finger towards him.

“Fine.” Bird Boy glared back at him, “Ask your questions before Dark Shadow gets impatient.”

Joker eyed Bird Boy’s persona warily, then exchanged glances with Mona.

“Where are we?”

“The USJ. I thought that would be obvious.” Bird Boy stood straighter, though his eyes never dropped their suspicion, “You are quite clueless for an invading foe.”

Joker held back a snort. The USJ? Universal Studios Japan? It might explain why the town looked so artificial, it was as empty as the time Haru rented out the entirety of Disney Land for her welcome party.

“Where’s the exit?” Joker ignored the caustic glare and shook the water from his hair, “I don’t know about you, but my feline friend and I hate getting rained on.”

“And why should I tell you?” Bird Boy widened his stance, and his persona released a thunderous growl, “You want to report back to your master, don’t you? You just want to defile our classmates even further!”

Rocky tried to calm him down by waving his arms, but he was pushed out of the way.

“Stay back, Anima! This snake shall plague us no more!”

“Joker…” Mona’s claws dug into his shoulders, “Let’s get out of here.”

Joker tightened his grip on his weapons as he shifted on his feet. Rocky looked forlorn, his pleading eyes swiveled helplessly between the two.

“There! Finally, we found some 1-A scum to beat up!”

They snapped out of their staring contest and turned to the group of thugs slithering their way down the street. Joker frowned. These were the types of low lives that plagued every city, and a common target for the Phantom Thieves.

“I knew it!” Bird Boy’s persona reared back, “It was just a ruse to distract us! Dark Shadow, now!!”

Dark Shadow charged, and Joker’s iconic smirk stretched across his face. Mona tensed as the giant black beast bounded towards them like a train, Joker flipped onto the back of the monster. Dark Shadow howled with fury as he tried to fling the intruder off.

Several cries added to the patters of rain as thugs were tossed aside like ragdolls, but the rampage continued. Mona flailed as his partner laughed amidst the dusty clouds and shattered concrete made by the beast’s wrath. Joker chose the perfect moment to jump when all of the thugs were wiped out.

The creature bucked and sent his passengers flying. Joker flipped elegantly through the air, his coat flared dramatically as he landed on the nearest rooftop. He flashed a grin to the two kids gaping up at them and did a two-finger salute.

“Urp, Joker,” Mona dry heaved as he sagged over Joker’s shoulders, “Please, don’t ever do that again.”

“And where’s the fun in that?” Joker chuckled, “We killed two birds with one stone, so those kids won’t get hurt by those thugs.”

“I-if you say so…”

They turned tail and left the two children in the dust. Rain still fell in cold sheets, and his colorful footsteps bounced from building to building. They only got mere moments of peace before Mona’s ears flicked, and he looked back down at the soaked street.

“Joker, we have pursuers!”

“Well,” Joker laughed as he leaped over another rooftop, “They’re persistent for ones who just took down an entire mob of low lives.”

“Hah, they could teach Skull a thing or two!”

He grimaced at the sharp sting in his heart, but Mona was too busy looking down to notice. A few more rooftops flew under their feet, their pursuers still hot on their trail. Luckily, the dark beast couldn’t reach them from this height.

“What’s that over there?”

Through the curtain of fog and the chilly rain was a metal door, surrounded on all sides by a wall with a roof that rose over their heads like a dome.

“This place really is artificial,” Joker muttered, “Mona, I think I have a plan to get us through that door.”

“I trust you,” Mona nodded, his blue eyes sparkling despite his soaking wet fur, “Let’s go, Joker!”

“Arsene?”

A deep chuckle echoed within his mind, _“An interesting plan, but I hope I have the strength to pull it off.”_

 _“Don’t worry,”_ Joker thought with a grin, _“I already have a plan B, just in case.”_

Joker skid to a stop at the edge of a building and sheathed his weapons, then seamlessly hopped down to a fire escape. Water splashed under his boots as he rolled into his landing, ignoring Mona’s startled cries as they rushed back into the streets.

“Halt, villain!” Bird Boy’s voice cut through the rain.

Joker sent a smirk over his shoulder and laughed at the kid’s heated glare. They reached the door and Joker tried to wrench it open.

“This thing is heavy!”

“Hurry up, Joker!!” Mona’s tail flicked, sending droplets of water in his face, “They’re almost here!”

Bird Boy stared them down from a block away, his cape billowing gently in the wind. The black beast burst out from his stomach, its screams of rage pierced through the winds, he charged with a nod from his partner.

“Joker-!”

“Arsene!!”

Heat exploded through the area as blue flames sizzled to life, the sheeting rain hissed and sputtered uselessly. Arsene stood behind Joker in all of his glory, black wings flared and his clawed hands reached up to meet the beast’s assault.

The two behemoths clashed in the middle, and Bird Boy flinched back as Arsene’s wild roar shook the dome like a roll of thunder, his surprise reflected clear in his eyes by the dwindling blue flames. Dark Shadow shrunk in size and Arsene pushed back with all of his power, but his strength was rapidly receding.

“Trickster! I can hold no longer!”

“Got it!” 

Finally, the door opened just as Arsene gave his final push. The dark beast shook his head as Arsene vanished, and leered at the intruders with dwindling shock.

“I don’t know what that was,” Bird Boy said, “But this is your last chance to surrender!”

Joker turned to him a sly smile as the door swung open, allowing a curtain of light to spill into the rainy streets.

“Sorry, kid.” Joker reached into his pocket for a Vanish Ball, and threw it between Bird Boy and his persona, “This show’s over.”

~*~*~*~

Tokoyami shouted as a bright flash burned his eyes, and Dark Shadow retreated back into him. Koda had finally caught up to him after several seconds of blindness, his hands hovered over Tokoyami’s shoulders.

“I am fine.” Tokoyami blinked the remaining spots from his eyes, and frowned, “But it appears the villains have escaped.”

Koda whirled around to the door. There was no sign of the frizzy-haired boy or his cat, though the door lazily swung back and forth with spine chilling creaks. Koda signed with his hands, drawing his friend’s attention.

_‘I don’t think they were villains.’_

Tokoyami dusted off his cloak, “What makes you say that? They clearly had ill intentions, and even managed to hold off Dark Shadow with a demon of his own.”

_‘Well, they seemed just as confused and scared as we were. It doesn’t fit with the other villains here.’_

“You could tell all of that by a single glance?”

Koda nodded excitedly, _‘And they helped us with those villains, and didn’t try to kill us…’_

“Perhaps…” Tokoyami glared at the ground, “But that boy just seemed confident and cocky to me.”

Koda’s watery smile was hidden by his mask, _‘You still can’t argue that he saved our lives.’_

“I concede to that point.” Tokoyami huffed, “Whatever the case, our way is now clear. I hope our classmates haven’t come to any harm, or there will be a reckoning.”

Koda nodded and followed his friend into the light.

He sincerely hoped that the frizzy-haired boy and his companion would be alright, but none of them were prepared for what the mysterious boy could do.


	4. Blooming Villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world froze in awe at the tower of blue flames rising into the sky, any who were still conscious gaped at the grinning boy shadowed by the twisting pillar.

“What… what is _that_ thing?” Mona whispered fearfully.

“I don’t know.”

Joker and Mona were crouched on the outskirts of a grand plaza, hidden by the ring of verdant green that surrounded it. Many bodies were spread out over the shattered concrete, unconscious or groaning from their injuries. There, by a great broken fountain, was a giant black being. Not like the avian shadow that Bird Boy controlled, this one was solid and built like a tower of pure muscle. Blank eyes swiveled around like a doll’s, it’s brain was exposed to open air.

It sat upon it’s victim, a man in black clothes soaked in his own blood. The demon twisted the man’s arms, and a jolt of fear shot through them when they _snapped_ like twigs. Screams ripped from the man’s throat, but he still had the strength to glare at the monster.

“What are you waiting for, Nomu?” A hoarse voice reached their ears, “Hurry up and kill him already.”

This thing, this Nomu, gurgled an inhuman sound and reached for the man’s head with its meaty hands. Joker sprung into action, but Mona leaped in front of him.

“Joker, no. We don’t know who they are or what’s going on between these people!”

“I’m not going to stand by and let someone die!” Joker snapped, his eyes wide at his partner.

“I…” Mona was troubled as he looked to the injured man in horror, then stepped aside, “You’re right. I’ll follow your lead, then. Hurry!”

Joker leaped from the flora, ignoring the leaves peppered in his hair as he called out to a particular persona, who answered with a growl like raging thunder.

_“You wish to use my power then? One attack is all I have the strength for, so call my name and let me wreak havoc!”_

Joker’s eyes blazed gold, “Go, Seth!”

The world froze in awe at the tower of blue flames rising into the sky, any who were still conscious gaped at the grinning boy shadowed by the twisting pillar. A dragon parted the flames like a curtain, pitch black with golden eyes like the sun. Its head was crowned by horns, with deadly spikes trailing down its spine to its long, jagged tail.

Seth beat wings powerful enough to conjure storms, and the flames were extinguished. He opened his great maw and roared, shaking the very foundation of the USJ. Glass crackled overhead, but luckily the ceiling didn’t shatter.

“You know what to do.”

Seth reared up, the Egyptian God of Storms and Chaos grinned in feral excitement, “With pleasure, Trickster!”

He took off like a freshly shot arrow, lightning crackled around him as he charged straight for the Nomu. Joker was startled when Seth tucked in his great wings and spun rapidly through the air, the energy swirling around him made him look like a speeding bullet.

Seth struck the Nomu like a train, and they both went flying across the plaza. Well, he had never seen a One-Shot Kill pulled off like _that_ before. Joker shook his head as he ran to the victim, swept him up in a fireman’s carry, and bolted towards the gigantic staircase. He felt Seth’s power dwindle away as he reached the foot of the stairs.

“Okay, that looked so cool.” Mona emerged from the bushes as Joker carefully set the man down, “But did you really have to show off that much?”

Joker gave him a knowing smirk, but the man in black clothes glared up at them with coffee-colored eyes.

“Who… are you..?”

His voice was raspy and strained, he definitively had more than a few broken bones. The skin of his elbow was just _gone_ , angry red muscle and tissue were bare for all to see. Joker smiled down at him as the intense citrine glow of his eyes faded back to a stormy gray.

“Nobody you need to worry about, hobo man.” Joker unsheathed his dagger, and faint panic clouded the man’s eyes, “It’s going to be okay, you won’t be in so much pain this way.”

Joker knocked the man’s head with the pommel of his dagger, and he went limp. Mona gave him an odd glance as he dug around in his pockets, and tossed him a Bead.

“Use this on him.”

Mona looked at the Bead that rolled in between his paws, “Huh, why?”

“I don’t want to take a chance of him dying,” Joker stood and stepped in front of them, “And it looks like we have company.”

Mona gulped as the Nomu slowly got back on it’s feet, then hesitantly nodded. He broke the bead in his jaws and concentrated the healing energy on the hobo. Mona breathed a sigh of relief as the man’s injuries slowly faded away, crackled skin and broken bones fusing back together like nothing had ever happened.

“You!!”

Joker sauntered to the center of the plaza and smirked at the obvious leader. Wild blue hair bedraggled his appearance, but it was the dismembered hands all over his body that really called his sanity into question. Hateful crimson eyes bored into Joker as he stopped a decent distance away.

“Who are you? You’re not one of my pawns or a student,” He tilted his head and scratched angry red lines into his neck, “I don’t know you. Are you a DLC character?”

“A DLC character?” He twirled his dagger as his other hand reached for his gun, “No, I’m the main player of this screwed up game.”

Joker felt the man child’s wrath suffocate him like a shroud, but kept up his nonchalant demeanor. A hint of green flickered through the corner of his vision. He didn’t dare look, for he had to keep this man child’s attention in case it was more students seeking safety.

“You…” The man child growled, “I’ll show you who’s player 1! Nomu, kill him!!”

A choked gurgle echoed across the plaza, and a flash of black loomed over him. Joker didn’t even have time to flinch as he was struck in the face, his body flew through the air like a ragdoll and slammed into a tree at the other end of the plaza. The man’s frenzied laughter penetrated his ringing ears, and he groaned as he slowly slid to the ground.

Joker blinked away the dust in his eyes and reached up to feel a tiny crack blossoming on his mask.

“I’ll have to thank Yusuke for making that extra Null Physical card…”

Seth purred proudly in the back of his mind, _“The Trickster was most wise to use it on me.”_

The Nomu didn’t chase after him, so Handy Man must’ve thought it was a fatal blow. Joker shook his head to clear his mind when there was a snap of a nearby twig. Joker felt around for his dagger, but it was dropped when he was struck. His hand latched onto his gun the moment the bushes parted, revealing a girl with long green hair and round eyes.

She stiffened as she stared into the barrel.

“Are you a student?”

She visibly swallowed and gave a firm nod.

“Sorry,” He lowered the gun with a sigh, “I thought you could be an enemy.”

The girl poked her cheek and tilted her head at him, “It’s okay, kero. Are you alright?”

Kero? Joker furrowed his brows. Another look at the girl gave him the odd impression of a frog, and she even had a green diver’s costume to match her hair.

“Just peachy.” He finally stood and wiped the dust off of his shoulders, “Who are you?”

“I should be asking you that,” She tilted her head the other way, her unblinking eyes drank in everything about him, “My name is Asui Tsuyu, but my friends call me Tsu-chan. We saw what you did for Aizawa-sensei. You aren’t a villain, are you?”

“Villain, huh? Not really, but some people see me as one.” Joker said with narrowed eyes, “What did you mean by ‘we’?”

Asui stepped aside, and there was a shaking purple midget huddling behind her.

“You… you have to be some kind of demon to have survived that things attack!” The midget jabbed a finger towards him.

“Technically,” A smooth smirk split Joker’s face, “You aren’t wrong about that, kid.”

The purple midget paled. Asui didn’t seem fazed, but she looked behind her friend expectantly.

“Mineta,” Asui said, “Where’d Midoriya go?”

The purple runt whirled around, “I-I don’t know! He was right behind us!”

Joker cursed under his breath and took off through the foliage. The world spun and he nearly fell on his face, but he caught himself and staggered onwards. That hit must’ve taken more out of him than he realized.

“Wait, kero!”

He ignored Asui and barged back into the main plaza. Fear sunk into his stomach as he saw the giant black monstrosity clutching another green kid by his forearm. He aimed his gun with practiced ease, and gunshots rang out. The Nomu’s arm and shoulder spurted with blood, but Joker’s smirk fell as the creature didn’t budge.

The green boy gaped at him as the Nomu’s injuries healed, the bullets were pushed out and clattered uselessly on the floor. Handy Man turned to him in shock.

“You’re _still_ alive? So you’re not just overpriced DLC or an NPC, but a secret boss?”

Joker was about to reply when a cloud of black and purple mist materialized behind the Nomu and Handy Man. Joker recognized it with a startling realization.

“Shigaraki Tomura,” The sentient mist paused to glance warily at him, but didn’t deem him as a threat.

“What is it!? I’m busy here!”

“A student has escaped. It’s only a matter of time before heroes show up. We should flee before it’s too late.”

Shigaraki growled like a mad dog, “Kurogiri, I would kill you right now if you weren’t our warp gate!”

Joker grimaced. Heroes? Villains? Warp gate? None of these things made sense to him. He took a colorful step forward and locked eyes with the sentient mist cloud.

“Hey Smokey, what’s your connection to Yaldabaoth?”

The pair looked at him as if they forgot he was there.

“Who?” Kurogiri asked.

“Yaldabaoth. A giant sentient chalice, or perhaps he appeared to you as an old man with a long nose? He’s not that hard to miss.”

Shigaraki waved him off, “Don’t try and confuse us with random bullshit!”

“He doesn’t matter, we should flee before-”

Shigaraki stepped forward, and Joker felt the sickening grin from where he stood.

“No, I want to have fun first. I want All Might’s pride reduced to dust! Maybe we should kill some of his students or this secret boss. Yeah, that’ll do.” Shigaraki motioned to the captive student in the Nomu’s arms, and stared at Joker with a bone-chilling smile, “You won’t fight back if you don’t want him to die!”

“Shigaraki-”

“Stay out of this, Kurogiri!”

With that, Shigaraki charged. Joker sheathed his gun and flung himself to the side as the man swiped at him. His instincts guided him through a dance of death, the gift of agile grace was rewarded to both dance partners. Joker’s mind whirled with a plan to set Midoriya free. It was only a matter of time before one of them made a fatal mistake.

Seth’s fading laughter pulled the curtain back for different power.

_“I shall become Master’s new mask!”_

Joker slipped under another swipe and backflipped to safety, Shigaraki’s annoyed anger only made him grin. But Joker only had eyes for the mountain of muscle and his captive.

“Nomu, meet Cerberus.”

Shigaraki flinched when Joker’s eyes burst with a yellow glow, and a savage howl echoed through the plaza. A beast with magnificent snowy fur came into the world bathed by blue flames, and the villain in front of him whirled around at thunderous footsteps. Cerberus, his long metallic tail thrashing like a whip behind him, swiped his massive paw at the Nomu’s arm. Claws of steel ripped through muscle, and Midoriya was set free, the useless chunk of flesh landed beside him in a dull thud.

Wide green eyes stared into the impossibly large white beast with a mix of fear and awe.

“Green child get to safety!” Cerberus said,“Master will take care of rest!”

Cerberus’ eyes flicked to Joker, he disappeared in a veil of blue fire with one last blood-curdling howl.

_“I did good, Master?”_

Joker smirked as Midoriya jolted to action, and fled from the Nomu as it’s arm regenerated.

“Yes, very good.” Joker said as his eyes regained their natural steel.

Cerberus purred at the praise. Shigaraki twitched and convulsed in rage, and he pulled at his hair as he curled in on himself.

“I _hate_ people like you!”He casually brushed the ground, and it turned grey and sick within seconds, “Now quit ruining my plans and just die already!”

Shigaraki struck as fast as a viper, Joker tore his eyes away from the deadened earth as the shadow of Shigaraki’s hand fell over his face.

“It’s game over, secret boss.”

Several things happened at the drop of a hat.

There was an inhuman yowl as Mona leaped on Shigaraki’s head. The man cried out as Joker rolled into his getaway, Mona was kicking and scratching wildly as strands of pale hair fell to the ground.

“Get off!!”

Mona leapt before Shigaraki’s hands could reach him, but they were separated by an eruption of ice. Pain stabbed through Joker as frozen crystals swallowed up his legs and torso, and encased his arms. Cerberus howled in agony within the depths of his mind, and Joker wasn’t far off from joining him. The edges of his vision turned black as the chill cut him to the bone like a knife. Nearby explosions were nothing compared to the mind-numbing static.

He felt an unfamiliar presence approach him and speak, but the words were garbled. There was silence, like the expectant pause for a reply, then angry footsteps pounded against pavement, and Joker was forced to look into heterochromatic eyes. The scarred boy latched onto the front of his tailcoat, his mouth was cut into a sharp frown.

A hand on his shoulder pulled the scarred boy away, Joker recognized the head of fluffy green hair. The pair of voices spoke and traded glances at him, and Joker held in his relief as the dual-colored boy reached out and melted his ice.

Joker fell from the icy crypt and landed on his knees, panting. Cerberus’ weak whimpers sparked anger, and he glanced up with thinly disguised rage. Midoriya’s shoulders tensed, but his friend remained stoic.

“I don’t know about this, Midoriya,” The ice boy said, “We don’t know who he is.”

“B-but he saved Aizawa-sensei’s life, a-and he saved me from the Nomu! I don’t think he’s with the villains…”

Joker caught his breath as he scanned his other surroundings. The ice had encased most of the Nomu, which slowed its regeneration. The floating mist was being held down by a deranged blonde with smoking hands, and Shigaraki seethed at them with hatred in his eyes.

An inky shape jumped in between Joker and the two kids, fur raised on end. Mona’s ears were flat on his head as he hissed like a little demon. The kids blinked down at Mona, then exchanged confused glances.

“I’m fine, Mona.” Joker said as he stood.

Mona looked back and narrowed his eyes, he scanned over Joker with disbelief. It was always the same look of concern he got when Joker was directly hit with one of his weaknesses.

“I take it that’s your cat?” Candy Cane asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

“Yeah,” Joker said, “He’s a bit overprotective, as I’m sure you could understand.”

Mona huffed and jumped on Joker’s shoulders. He didn’t lose the angry glimmer in his eyes as he stared the two boys down, and Joker tagged out Cerberus for Seth. The dragon breathed a blazing hot breath of anger down Joker’s neck, and other faint voices comforted Cerberus.

The Candy Cane boy didn’t trust him, and Joker wouldn’t risk his health a second time.

“Hey, guys!”

Mona bristled as another student with spiky red hair ran towards them, waving his arm. He stuttered when he saw the odd pair and approached his friends warily. Good, at least these kids weren’t completely stupid. Joker shoved his hands into his pockets as Midoriya gave him a watery smile.

“Kirishima! I’m glad you’re okay!”

“Y-yeah man, you too!” Kirishima’s eyes never left Joker, “Who’s this?”

The three kids glanced at him, and Joker’s easy smile slid on like butter.

“The name’s Joker.” He tilted his head, and Mona rubbed protectively against his fluffy hair, “This is Mona.”

Candy Cane scoffed, but Kirishima gave him a sunny grin.

“Cool names! I’m Kirishima!” He slung his arm over Midoriya and the other stepped out of range, “This here’s Midoriya, and that one is Todoroki!”

Joker hummed and Mona narrowed his eyes while his tail twitched. Have they not heard of the Phantom Thieves before? Their code names should be infamous.

“No... it wasn’t supposed to be this way!”

They turned towards Shigaraki, who’s nails drew blood as they trailed down his neck.

“I’m so sick of everything not going my way!” He glared between Joker, the students, and the kid holding down Kurogiri, “Nomu, free our warp gate!”

Joker tensed as he readied to move, but the fates didn’t grant him such luck.

The whole facility shook with an explosion, and all eyes turned towards the top of the stairs. A giant plume of dust masked the figure slowly approaching, each of his massive footsteps were as loud as war drums. Joker and Mona shivered at the raw _fury_ exhumed by the man emerging through the dust cloud. He was as massive as the Nomu, with blazing golden hair and a dangerous smile that dripped with pure malice.

“It’s alright now.” The man’s deep voice cut through the air like a sword, “Why? Because I am here!”

“What’s that-”

Joker was cut off as the man suddenly disappeared. The next thing he knew, there was a yellow blur in front of him and a burst of pain in his stomach. Mona cried out as he was torn from his partner, and the foliage devoured him for the third time that day. He coughed and forced himself to sit up, trying to blink past the burn of tears in his eyes. Did that man just _punch_ him?

Any remaining thugs had been knocked unconscious, the Nomu was batted away, and the students were huddled in a group at the foot of the stairs. Asui and Mineta held their unconscious teacher.

“Joker!” Mona whisper-yelled through the bushes, “Are you alright?”

“Just _fine_.” Joker wiped the dirt from his cheek, and Mona shrugged past the bushes to reach him, “You know Mona, I don’t think this place likes us very much. I’m getting pretty tired of being called a villain or getting punched by ridiculous muscle men.”

“That’s an understatement.” Mona looked him up and down, “Are you going to heal? You took quite a few hits already.”

“I wasn’t injured by that.” Joker shook his head, “Seth has Null Physical.”

“I’m not talking about Seth,” Mona sighed, and Joker ignored the guilty pit in his stomach, “I know Cerberus is weak to ice, and that kid didn’t even seem to care that you were in such intense pain. Don’t doubt my skills, Joker.”

“I would never,” His voice oozed with sarcasm, but he smoothed his expression, “But I’ll be fine until we make our escape. We don’t know where we are or if there are any sources to replenish our items, and I would rather not expose ourselves by casting healing magic.”

Mona considered his words, and nodded, “Good idea. Now, let’s get out of here, while they’re distracted.”

Joker pulled himself into a crouch and they crept low to the ground. The students gaped at the epic fight between muscled behemoths that shook the ground and struck them with gusts of wind, oblivious to the two Phantom Thieves inching closer. A pair of viridian eyes glanced towards the trees every few seconds.

A massive black shape flew overhead, and a crash echoed through the facility as the Nomu was blown away. Literally. Mona stared at the hole in the roof with comically wide eyes.

“This place is crazier than most palaces.”

Joker snorted but did a double-take at the plaza.

Shigaraki and Kurogiri stood several meters from the muscled blonde, but something wasn’t right. The giant grinning man wasn’t moving, and steam wafted unnaturally from his skin. Mona looked between Joker and the hostile group in the plaza.

“Joker, don’t even think about it.”

“Something’s wrong with him. He took out that Nomu thing, but he hasn’t stopped the other two yet. Shouldn’t they be easy for him?”

“Maybe.” Mona shifted on his paws, “Don’t you think we’ve gotten in enough trouble? The big guy can take care of himself.”

Joker chewed the inside of his cheek, and his body moved by itself when Shigaraki suddenly charged. His hand whipped for his gun and he stood to take aim, but he never fired. Gunshots cracked through the air.

“Joker-!”

Pain exploded through his shoulder, crimson splatters painted the earth as another blinding shot ripped the gun from his hand. He collapsed on the ground as he grasped his injury. Mona jumped on top of him, his voice and a myriad of others all howling in his ears. Several figures in white cloaks approached them.

Mona was ripped away by his scruff, and the _snap_ of handcuffs trapped Joker’s wrists together. For some reason, the personas’ chorus of voices fell silent. He felt his costume flicker as if it were on the brink of vanishing too, but Joker willed it to stay through the haze of burning pain.

They were dragged from the bushes, and the next several minutes were a blur of colors and voices, the wail of sirens pierced the air. Joker barely felt the sun on his face as they surfaced. The pop of green snapped him out of his reverie, and Joker grinned at the students surrounded by authorities, they only had small cuts and bruises from the looks of it. Midoriya bolted from the paramedics when they met eyes, but was held back by police.

He recognized several of the students he encountered so far, including Rocky and Bird Boy, they all glanced at him with varying expressions as he was shoved in a police car. If this were any other time, concern from someone like Midoriya would be touching, and the students reminded him of people back home.

Back… home?

Many of these kids reminded him of his friends, or of the victims, they’d saved. A few, like the glaring blonde, were akin to those who’s heart he would steal. It was all familiar, yet alien at the same time.

Right now, as the police car drove off into the unknown, Joker didn’t know how to feel about that. 


	5. Escape!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Aizawa didn’t know better, he would say the cat even looked smug.

“What do you think of the kid?”

Coffee colored eyes glanced at Toshinori in disinterest.

“Honestly, I can’t get a read on him,” Aizawa said, “And shouldn’t you be in the hospital?”

Toshinori shuffled on his feet, pointedly ignoring the bandages underneath his oversized shirt.

“I wanted to be here for this. Some of our students have defended this boy’s actions, and there has to be a reason why.” Toshinori turned to him with a knowing glimmer in his eyes, “You’re here because you feel like you owe him, don’t you?”

Aizawa scratched at his stubble with a frown. His body had been completely healed, and not even a power like Recovery Girl's quirk could have done that in a pinch. He felt more awake than he had in a decade. Did this boy have _that_ strong of a healing quirk, or was it something else? He read the reports and saw one of the beasts for himself, but there had to be something more to it.

“Is he… meditating?”

Nezu leaned forward in his chair, which had been practically glued to the one-way mirror ever since Tsukauchi started talking to the kid. The boy had his eyes closed and refused to speak even after Tsukauchi asked what happened before. He tapped his foot. Nezu’s eyes caught the vibrant ripples of color, it as if there was an invisible puddle of paint under his boots. Tsukauchi frowned and glanced in their direction. The detective stood and left the kid alone in the interrogation room, it only took a few seconds for the door to open.

“What’s the verdict?” Aizawa droned.

“I don’t know.” Tsukauchi closed the door behind him, and sighed, “He’s…. a mystery, and he won’t say another word.”

“He claims we won’t believe him, despite the fact that he knows your quirk. What a marvelous conundrum.” Nezu swiveled his chair to look at them with a mad grin, “He wasn’t lying about anything, was he Tsukauchi?”

“No,” Tsukauchi scrubbed his eyes, then approached the mirror to stare at Joker, “He wasn’t at the USJ voluntarily, and he told the truth when he said he was attacked. It worries me. He doesn’t want our help, and even suggested that he was abused by the police before.”

“Indeed. If only he would spill his secrets. And since he’s not in the system…” Nezu looked at Aizawa, “Does his name ring any bells? Something from the underground perhaps? The way he said his alias bothers me, it was as if we were already supposed to know it.”

Aizawa looked up in thought and he was drawn to an odd flicker in the vent. He narrowed his eyes, but it must’ve been his mind playing tricks on him.

“Not that I can remember.” Aizawa said, “I’ll ask around, though. Maybe one of the information brokers know something.”

Toshinori crossed his arms and stared at the ground.

“Something bothering you?” Tsukauchi asked.

“It’s just..” Toshinori glanced at them as a dark look flashed in his eyes, “The boy has shown _multiple_ powers and not just that. Mastery in parkour, knowing how to use a blade, and he obviously received training with firearms. I can’t help but think that he’s connected with All For One.”

“But that man is dead.” Nezu said softly.

Aizawa glanced between the others and decided not to question who they were talking about.

“I know. If not All For One, then perhaps one of his underlings is still kicking. I want to know if this boy is involved in any of it.” Toshinori peered through the glass, “Maybe he was a victim or an unwilling test subject, but no matter the case, those creatures he controlled were strange and powerful.”

“He used a _dragon_ of all things to get the Nomu away from me,” Aizawa said, “Koda and Tokoyami told us of a humanoid being with jet black wings, and Midoriya was saved by a giant white lion with a metal tail.” 

“We’re lucky he chose not to harm our students.” Toshinori said with a sigh, “But other than that, he’s been the opposite of helpful, and his quirk is one of the strangest I’ve ever seen.”

“He didn’t use a quirk.” Tsukauchi tapped his chin in thought, “He didn’t lie when he said it wasn’t the power of quirks, so where would he get powers like that? Or is it those weird beasts that have all of the power, and they just listen to him?”

The temperature of the room plummeted, and three grown men experienced the hair raising fear of Nezu’s fury.

“Strange, unnatural creatures. An extreme skill set. Inhuman durability.” Nezu slowly swiveled to face the boy, who finally opened his eyes and glanced at the window as if he felt it too, “Any inkling about him is scrubbed clean from the system, and he claims to have been attacked by a villain. Was it an attack, or a daring escape on his part? Everything in front of us points towards a most heinous crime.”

“Which is…?” Toshinori was almost too scared to ask.

Nezu folded his paws together, and frowned, “Illegal experimentation.”

The room was drenched with tense silence, but they didn’t have time to marinate on it as the door was thrown open by a panicked officer.

“Detective Tsukauchi, the cat is gone!”

Tsukauchi blinked, “The cat..?”

“You can’t keep track of one cat?” Aizawa asked with a raised brow.

Tsukauchi ran a hand down his face, “Do you know where it ran off to?”

“No,” The officer shook his head, “We haven’t been able to locate it.”

“Surely it couldn’t go too far?” Toshinori said.

Nezu whipped towards Tsukauchi, “Did you test this cat for a quirk?”

“No…” Tsukauchi’s eyes widened in horror.

“The vents.” Aizawa tore himself from the wall as everyone stared at the grate over their heads, “I thought I saw something in there earlier.”

Something dropped into the interrogation room and a strange hissing noise leaked through the mirror. The kid had the gall to grin at them before the room was filled with smoke.

“Eraser-!” Tsukauchi shouted.

“On it!” 

They burst from the room, Aizawa kicked open the interrogation room door just as a thundering crash shook the station to its core. The smoke cloud still clung to the air, but Aizawa reached for his scarf at the flicker of blue flame and sunlight. Ominous gold eyes shown through the smokescreen.

Joker stood at the edge of the destroyed wall, his cat perched on his shoulder. The handcuffs were abandoned on the table and the kid clutched the evidence bag full of his stuff. A bloody bandage lay at his feet.

If Aizawa didn’t know better, he would say the cat even looked _smug._

~*~*~*~

_~15 minutes earlier…._

“Argh! Curse these tiny paws!!”

Morgana contorted himself as he tried to unlatch the mechanism trapping him in this small crate. The police officers were stupid enough to leave him here, in a small room, _unsupervised_. But he wasn’t worried about himself right now.

That pure jolt of panic from being separated from Joker never left, he just _knew_ how the police treated him before. His stomach soured at the thought of his best friend being drugged and beaten again. He wouldn’t sit still and let these strange people do something to him!

“Come on… just a little more….”

His paw slipped and the mechanism snapped back into place. Morgana cried out as he batted the metal in frustration, he barely had enough room to turn a small, nervous circle.

 _“Such puzzles are child’s play with my power.”_ A musical voice echoed.

“Mercurius!?” Morgana flinched, but relief swelled within him like a tide, “I’ve been trying to summon you, but I haven’t sensed you since we got here. Where have you been?”

_“Apologies, Magician. I was in a dark place after Yaldabaoth's attack, and I could not find you until now.”_

Morgana sighed in relief at the familiar presence tied to his soul, magic flooded his veins, and a sudden burst of energy sparked through his body. Spells were a mere whisper away. Morgana expected the change but frowned when he stayed in his normal cat form.

“Why haven’t I changed forms…?” He shook his head, “No, we can think about that later!”

Morgana pushed a bit of magic into the air and a sudden gust knocked his cage off of the table. The cheap crate broke just enough so he could slip through the infuriating door.

“Ha, as if they could keep _me_ locked up.” He whispered with a flick of his tail.

This room was bare, with only a table, a one-way mirror, and a few chairs. Morgana glared at the crate, then vaulted up on the table to search for a way out. Aha! The air vent! A little more wind magic freed the grate from the rusty nails, and he crept through the cat-sized vents with relative ease.

Now, the hard part.

Dust tickled his nose as he passed another vent, where muffled voices filtered in through the grate. Morgana inched closer and peeked out, stripes of light colored his fur. The oddest bunch of people stood in the room below. 

_“What’s the verdict?”_

_“I don’t know._ _He’s…. a mystery, and he won’t say another word._ _It worries me. He doesn’t want our help, and even suggested that he was abused by the police before.”_

 _“Indeed. He claims we won’t believe him, despite the fact that he knows your quirk. What a marvelous conundrum.”_ Morgana gaped at the literal mouse sitting in a chair like a toddler, _“He wasn’t lying about anything, was he Tsukauchi?”_

 _“No,”_ The man in a brown trench coat stared out of the one-way mirror, _“He wasn’t at the USJ voluntarily, and he told the truth when he said he was attacked.”_

 _“If only he would spill his secrets. And since he’s not in the system…”_ The mouse looked at the hobo, _“Does his name ring any bells? Something from the underground perhaps? The way he said his alias bothers me, as if we were already supposed to know it.”_

“Joker must be in that other interrogation room…” Morgana whispered, “But we’ll need our stuff back, it has to be in here somewhere.”

Morgana looked down into the room, and froze when the hobo locked eyes on him. He ducked down, his ears flat on his head, and passed the grate before he got caught. He wandered the small maze of steely tunnels. The meandering officers were none the wiser to the little guest above their heads as Morgana finally found what he was looking for.

_“Honestly, what is all of this crap used for?”_

Two officers were on either side of a table, where a small duffel bag was loaded with their confiscated goods. The metal of Joker’s weapons glimmered from the bottom of the pile, and one of the officers held the Crystal Skull in his hand. The officer must’ve felt it’s ominous power and tossed it back into the bag with a shiver.

“Target is in sight, everyone.” Morgana whispered.

He expected Joker or Oracle’s immediate reply, or perhaps a quip from Skull.

He only received silence. It left a bad taste on his tongue, but he ignored the heartache as he focused on his objective.

_“I don’t know man, why don’t you go ask the kid?”_

_“Tsukauchi has taken over his case, you know how he gets whenever kids are involved. Besides, we’ve got strict instructions not to mess with this stuff until the analysts get here.”_

_“Well, they don’t have to tell us twice. Some of this garbage gives off a creepy vibe. ”_

_“Yeah, let’s go check on the cat,”_ The other said, _“...You don’t think they’ll be mad if it’s left alone for too long, do you?”_

Morgana held back the bubble of laughter as the officers exchanged glances, then left the room in haste. Heart pounding, Morgana pushed open the grate. It rattled on the ground, he hoped nobody was too close to hear it.

_“Hurry, time turns rather quickly.”_

“I know!”

Morgana gracefully jumped onto the table and gripped the bag’s straps with his teeth and dragged it to the edge. The vent was so high up, he would never make that jump with all of this weight.

_“Watch and learn this world’s new tricks, Magician.”_

Emerald winds swirled around him and he was launched into the vents with a startled cry. Morgana’s jaw dropped and the straps fell from his mouth.

“How did…?” 

_“My power works differently in this plane of existence, but the reason is unknown. Now you can use magic without summoning my full form.”_

“A different plane of existence?” Morgana asked, but Mercurius remained silent, so he filed it away for later, “I’m coming Joker, just hold on!”

He grasped the evidence bag and pushed forward to his partner.

~*~*~*~

Joker stared back at his own reflection.

Somebody was staring at him through the window, if the raised hairs on his neck were anything to go by. He wondered how long he had been locked in this maddening room. His stomach turned with hunger, and his sore muscles grew even more so the longer he sat in this hard chair.

His costume was _this_ close to disappearing, and it would if he broke his concentration. The pounding headache was worth it though. There was no way he’d let these people do whatever they want with him, and who knows what would happen if they figured out his identity. Joker stiffened as an icy cool sensation washed over his body like a refreshing spring. The burn of his gunshot wound and his sore muscles faded until they were gone completely.

He would know the soothing aura of a Mediarahan anywhere.

“Psst!”

Joker looked up at the vent, where he could see the glimmer of Morgana’s eyes. The vent opened and a tiny ball was dropped into the room. Joker felt the rising panic next door and flashed them a feral grin when the room filled with smoke.

Morgana hopped down onto the table with the bag of items in his mouth.

“Mona, you’re a lifesaver!”

“I know I am.” Morgana said with a smirk, he quickly dug through the bag and gave Joker the Eternal Lock Pick.

The lock pick tore through the cuffs in record time, and the flood of voices returned to his mind when they clattered on the table. He snatched the bag from the table and tore off the bloody bandage just as Morgana jumped on his shoulder.

“Arsene-”

_“Got it!”_

Arsene burst into existence, and he spun through the air and kicked the wall with his heeled boots. The door flung open just as the wall exploded outwards, dust intermixing with the smokescreen. Wind graced their faces as they looked out into the bleeding sky, and they turned to see a group of people staring at them in shock. Joker felt the sprig of guilt when he looked into Tsukauchi’s frightened expression, but it was covered by his smooth grin.

He gave them the two finger salute, “See ya.”

“Wait, kid!”

The hobo’s voice echoed out into the streets as he jumped. Wind howled in their ears as they jumped from the third story, colorful splatters splashed across the concrete as they rolled into their landing, and took off in a frantic sprint.

“Joker, they’re on our tail!”

Joker looked over his shoulder, the hobo ran on the rooftops, his silvery scarf flailing behind him.

“You’d think _some_ people would be more grateful.”

“Let him try to outrun this!”

Morgana closed his eyes as they passed a group of civilians, who leapt out of his way with startled cries. Suddenly, there was a green flash of light that trailed up their bodies, and Joker’s senses sharpened, his footsteps pounded faster against the concrete. Joker laughed, even as police sirens howled through the air and drew closer to them.

“So,” Joker ran across the street, cars honked and brakes screeched, and he took off into an abandoned alleyway, “Mercurius came back?”

“Yeah! I still can’t change forms though,” Morgana dug his claws into Joker as they turned another sharp corner, “But we can talk about everything later!”

A figure dropped down in front of them, and Joker slid to a stop to glare at the hobo. Police sirens were so close, the sound of engines and doors slamming shut echoed through the mouth of the alley. Joker got in a familiar battle stance while Morgana bristled on his shoulder.

“We’re not going to hurt you, kid.” The hobo held up his hands in surrender, “So just turn yourself in.”

Joker narrowed his eyes. Despite the rapid pounding of his heart and how his muscles screamed for him to run, this man in front of him was being genuine. This man had the same air as Tsukauchi. Yet, Lavenza’s voice was still silent, no new confidant was created. Joker brushed away the thought with a cold smile.

“Sorry, old man,” Joker said, “But I won’t be going anywhere with you, especially when the result always ends up in either a cold cell or attempted murder.”

Footsteps were behind them, and Joker whirled around to face Tsukauchi and few police officers with their hands on their guns. He put his back to the wall, a spark of panic rose in his heart. They were surrounded. Tsukauchi took another step closer, his eyes so gentle and trusting.

“Please, don’t make this so hard on yourself, Joker.” He said, “We can help you, but only if you allow us to.”

Morgana nudged him and motioned up to a fire escape. The hobo cursed under his breath when Joker suddenly charged at him and whipped out his scarf. Joker threw himself into a roll to avoid it.

“Hold on!” Morgana whispered in his ear.

Joker’s stomach flew into his throat as he was flung into the air by a burst of wind. He grabbed the fire escape railing and pulled himself over it. Metallic footsteps came from underneath them, and Joker growled in frustration when the hobo followed them up.

“No, don’t shoot-!”

A bullet whizzed by his head, and he whirled around to stare at Tsukauchi in horror. The detective had grasped the arm of the officer, and he looked up at Joker with dismay. Joker didn’t give them a second glance as he jumped onto the rooftop and continued their frantic sprint to freedom.

“Joker, are you alright!?”

“It missed,” Joker said as he hopped over to the next rooftop, “I’m fine.”

Morgana’s eyes softened, but then he looked back over his shoulder.

“ _Seriously?_ ” He said as the hobo chased after them, “Do these people ever take a hint!?”

They continued this chase until the sun departed under the horizon, and a purple hue dyed the city. Sweat beaded on Joker’s brow and he was growing tired, they would be captured again if this kept up.

 _“Enough!”_ Arsene yelled, _“I grow tired of this pest!”_

A well of power exploded within him, and Arsene appeared in a tower of blinding blue fire. Morgana cried out in surprise, but Joker kept running. Arsene spread his wings as the hobo jumped back and shielded his eyes, his demonic howl was etched into the night air and reached even the smallest ears from several blocks away. Winds whipped as he beat his massive wings and, with no handhold, the hobo was blown off the rooftops.

Arsene stayed for a few seconds more, hovering ominously in the air before he disappeared.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a persona that angry before…” Morgana said in awe.

Joker smirked as they hopped a few more rooftops, and then jumped down into a cramped alleyway. The sickly sweet aroma burned their noses, but they crept past the garbage and hung at the edge of the alleyway. There were no sirens or police cars, and the streets had only a few people. Better yet, that hobo seems to have lost their trail thanks to Arsene.

“You think we finally escaped?” Morgana asked.

“Yeah, hopefully.”

Joker ducked back into the alley and finally released his hold. His costume was consumed by azure ashes and he was returned to his regular clothing. A plain white shirt, dark jacket, jeans, and boots. It was the clothes he wore before Yaldabaoth merged Tokyo with the metaverse, before the Phantom Thieves set out to destroy a god, before…

Before they were banished to this weird place.

Thankfully, Joker still had his glasses perched on his nose. Morgana sat next to him and curled his tail around his legs. Joker slowly fell against the wall and slid down onto the ground.

“...Now what?” Morgana asked softly.

Joker set the duffel bag in front of him and dug through their items. His phone was still there, and he smiled when it unlocked for him. There were no new messages or missed calls, and the battery was in the red.

“Nobody has contacted us yet.”

Morgana hummed, and looked up to the star-speckled sky, “We can worry about that tomorrow. How about we try to get some food, and find a decent place to sleep? You must be exhausted.”

Joker zipped the bag shut, and stood. They escaped police custody, now it was time for the next challenge.

Where to sleep in this strange new city?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter! 
> 
> What are your favorite personas? Mine is Cerberus, always get super excited to see him in SMT/Persona games. Would you guys like to see certain personas in this story? I have a definite list for certain scenes and uses for them, but that only leaves a little over half of the stock that Joker would have when fighting Yaldaboath.


	6. Beneath The Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What exactly are you getting at?”
> 
> “What if…” Morgana hesitated, but took a deep breath and stared Ren straight in the eye, “What if we were sent to a different world?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our boy will need a hug after this is all over.

“I’m hungry…”

“I know, Morgana. We’ll get some money, then figure something out.”

They walked down the lonely sidewalk and passed underneath countless light posts on their way to an ATM. It took a while, they had to huddle outside of a library and leech from the wifi there, then trail halfway across the city for one of the few 24 hour ATMs.

“We should be able to find a decent apartment with the funds we stocked up,” Morgana whispered, “Ooh, maybe we can have the whole fridge stuffed to the brim with sushi! Some salmon and some mackerel too! Oh, and of course we can’t forget tuna!”

Ren laughed, “You won’t miss living in Leblanc?”

“Well…” Morgana hummed as his tail flicked back and forth, “The attic was a decently sized room and it served our purposes well, but to have a _whole_ apartment to ourselves? Just imagine what we could do!”

Ren waited for the green light, despite there being no cars on the streets, and passed another block. Finally, the ATM came into view. It was sheltered in its own tiny building and lucky for them, nobody else was using it. Ren pushed the door open as he plucked out his wallet.

Morgana was lost to dreams of sushi as he put his card in and waited patiently.

“That’s strange…”

“What’s up?”

“There’s been an error.” Ren examined his card, “It’s not accepting it.”

“Hmm, the machine doesn’t look broken. Did you do it wrong?”

Ren deadpanned but tried a second time. Unease slithered down his throat and settled in his stomach like a rock, and he tried for a third time with the same result. He slid the card back into his wallet and tried another, but it just didn’t work.

“Why isn’t it working?”

Morgana double checked to make sure nobody was around. He blinked at a camera and nudged Ren’s face, then looked pointedly out the door. Ren packed away his wallet as they stepped out into the cool night air, but that didn’t help the sense of dread that sank into their hearts like a blade.

“Ren, I think I know what’s going on.”

Ren tilted his head to the side as Morgana jumped off of his shoulder, “You do?”

“Mercurius said something strange when he came back to me. He said that our power works differently in _this_ plane of existence. Now, it kind of makes sense.” Morgana looked over to a nearby park, where a hint of pink blossoms could be seen, “Think about it. It was Christmas day when we went to fight Yaldabaoth, but it’s obviously spring here. Nobody we’ve encountered knew who we were. There are people with a variety of strange powers and even stranger looks, yet they don’t use personas as we do.”

“What exactly are you getting at?”

"What if..." Morgana hesitated, but took a deep breath and stared Ren straight in the eye, “What if we were sent to a different world?”

Ren paled, "It’s…. would that… would that even be possible?”

“Maybe. Cognition of the masses can be powerful, and Yaldabaoth had control over it. Perhaps these worlds were created through his power, too.”

“So, this is an illusion?”

“No,” Morgana shook his head, “I sense that this place is as solid as the city of Tokyo back home. The people, the places, its all real. It would explain why we can’t go to the metaverse anymore, it’s possible that our allies all fell into different worlds too. Yaldabaoth created multiple portals, after all.”

Ren scrubbed at his eyes as a headache bloomed, “Great, just when I thought things couldn’t get more complicated.”

“When did the odds ever beat us down?” Morgana gained a mischievous gleam to his eyes, and hopped back to his perch on Ren’s shoulder, “We’re Phantom Thieves, and you’re our leader. We’ve accomplished so many things, what does this world have that we haven’t faced down already?”

Ren straightened the bag on his other shoulder and smiled at Morgana.

“You’re right, but we still need to know more of what we’re dealing with. I get the feeling we can’t do much without money, though.”

“How much did we have saved back home?”

Ren felt his spirits plummet, “Almost 4 million yen…”

They had saved up that money for _months_ , and only got so much thanks to a few choice targets in Mementos and Ann’s confusion skills. Both Futaba and Haru helped him set up multiple accounts to hide it, and they would’ve all split the money evenly when their time as Phantom Thieves came to an end.

“…And how much cash do you have on you now?”

“4000 yen.” Ren grimaced, “I spent almost all of it getting supplies.”

“Well,” Morgana sank over his shoulder, “We can kiss our sushi apartment goodbye.”

“We’ll have to make do for now.” Ren closed his wallet and shoved it in his back pocket, then walked down the barren street, “We’ll get some food, then find a cheap place to sleep.”

“You know, you could always get a job.”

“One thing at a time, Morgana.” Ren stared at him with a raised brow, “I don’t know if my ID would work in this world, and I don’t exactly want the authorities to find us either.”

“Then we find ways to work around it.” Morgana said with a nod, “If worse comes to worst we could sell off some of our items from the metaverse. We could probably get a good price!”

Ren frowned, “Maybe.”

They fell into silence as they found a 24-hour convenience store. He grabbed a few meat buns on sale, a bottle of iced coffee, and a small can of cat food for Morgana. The cashier didn’t even bat an eye as they paid for their items and left. They had 3200 yen remaining.

They stood outside to eat while Ren accessed the store’s wifi.

“There’s an internet cafe nearby that doesn’t mind small pets.” He said as he finished one meat bun and grabbed the next, “1600 yen for twelve hours, but it’s the cheapest place around here.”

Morgana hummed, but he was too busy stuffing his face with tuna pate to really care. Ren saved the location to his phone and exited the map, but his finger paused over his message icon. The bun suddenly tasted like ash, and he hesitantly clicked on it. He read through the Phantom Thief chat room, and his stomach churned.

****[Joker]** **

_Anybody there?_

_It’s been a wild ride so far, but Mona and I escaped without further injury. I hope you’re all okay too._

The little loading circles were agonizingly slow.

Then, an error popped up.

“Server not found?” He shoved his phone in his pocket with a scowl, “Great.”

Morgana looked up from his meal, “Ren, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He brushed it off with a false smile, “Are you finished?”

Morgana licked his chops and nodded down at the empty can. Ren packed away his food and took care of the trash, then they set off towards the cafe. It wasn’t too hard to find an internet cafe called the Raven’s Nest, the little bell on the door rang with soft clarity. The place was homey, with a soft wooden interior that reminded him of Leblanc. 

The man behind the front desk looked relatively young, with a shock of silvery hair, electric blue eyes hidden by heavy glasses and a narrow face that reminded him of Yusuke. He glanced at the duo, then straightened as if he was electrocuted. His eyes blinked owlishly several times and plastered on a strained smile as they approached. A few seconds of silence passed, then the man cleared his throat.

“What can I do for you?”

Ren exchanged glances with Morgana, “We would like the twelve hour package, please.”

“Right. That’ll be 1000 yen, then.”

Ren paused as he dug out his wallet, “The website said 1600?”

Morgana gave him a scathing glare, but he ignored it.

“Yup. This season has been rather slow, so I put out discounts to try and draw more customers.” The man scratched the back of his neck with a nervous smile, “I guess I forgot to update the website?”

Ren nodded and handed the money over.

“My name is Kaito by the way.” He nodded past the next door, “We have vending machines and such before the cubicles, and the shower is free for first time customers. Just let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks.”

“Oh, and don’t mind Miss Aiba. She’s my only other customer right now.”

Ren nodded and passed through the door, but neither of them caught Kaito’s sigh of relief. There was a small lounge with a few chairs and a couch on one wall, and vending machines tucked into a small kitchenette on the other. At least it had a fridge and a stove.

“Well, we could do worse.” Morgana whispered.

“It’s a roof over our heads.” Ren bypassed the lounge and went into the next hallway, “For tonight at least.”

The muted lighting cast a spell of silence, their breathing suddenly sounded as loud as crashing ocean waves. There were rows of doors on either side of the wall, all of them were open except for one at the end. It was close to the bathroom, and Morgana’s ears picked up faint sounds within. Ren dove into the closest cubicle and shut the door. Morgana jumped onto the plush cushion as Ren unloaded the bags beside the door. There was even a hook where he could hang his jacket.

It was smaller than his cell in the Velvet Room, but a lot more comfortable.

“You think Futaba would be jealous of this setup?” Morgana asked, he set his front paws on the desk and tilted his head, “This looks like a decent computer, but I don’t know much about them.”

“She would probably tear it apart and add her own little touch to it.” Ren smiled fondly as he plopped down in front of the screen, “Well, let’s see what we can find out.”

Immediately, the feed was filled with news of the USJ, but he filed those tabs away for later.

Neither of them was prepared for the swell of information. Ren couldn’t even begin to guess how a shining baby brought forth ‘quirks’ in this world. There were laws in Japan that forbade public use of them, but they were just scratching the surface, and the rabbit hole expanded.

Quirks. Quirkless. Heroes. Villains. Vigilantes. Technology that has stagnated for… 200 years!? Ren brought up the calendar, and his jaw dropped.

“This place is in the year 2218, huh?” Morgana looked at Ren, eyes wide in disbelief, “And 80% of the people here can have any combination of powers based on their genetics. That’s pretty terrifying if you really think about it.”

“Tsukauchi said his quirk was called Polygraph. Ironically, I don’t think he was lying.” Ren ran a hand through his hair, “I wonder if that’s why Kaito was staring at us weird. Maybe his quirk tipped him off about something.”

“Maybe.” Morgana sighed, “I don’t like any of this. We’ll have to be extra careful, Ren.”

Ren snorted, “Like we weren’t ever careful before?”

“Well, I think we’ll do a better job without Ryuji screaming our secrets from the rooftops.” Another stab to the heart, but Ren covered it with a lazy smile as Morgana stretched, “I think I’ll go scout around outside. I want to secure escape routes and get a lay of the land in case that Kaito guy pulls something.”

“Are you sure? There’s still a lot we don’t know about this place, and we shouldn’t get separated.”

Morgana rolled his eyes, “Please, it’s just a quick trip around the block! What could it hurt?”

“Alright.” Ren shifted on the cushion, and then stood with a long sigh, “But I want you to come right back if you see anything weird.”

“Yes, _mom_.” Morgana playfully narrowed his eyes, “Are you doubting my skills, Ren? Did you already forget who broke us out of that station?”

He deadpanned, “Of course not.”

“Good.”

They made their way to the front desk while Kaito looked up from his phone. His large eyes peered straight into them as Ren opened the front door.

“My shift will go on for a while,” Kaito said as he glanced back at his phone, “So I’ll let him back in if he scratches at the door.”

Morgana forced himself to meow in agreement. Ren held back laughter when Kaito blinked at them several times in confusion, Morgana simply held his nose high in the air as he walked out.

Ren smiled, “Thanks.”

Kaito nodded and avoided looking him in the eye as Ren made his way back to the cubicle. He felt eyes on him, his hand paused over the handle as he glanced towards the end of the hall. There was a flash of a pale magenta eye peeking through the darkness of the last cubicle before the door slammed shut.

Ren buried his unease as he stepped inside his room for the night, and sank back into the cushion painted by the screen’s pale light. Several seconds pass. A shiver ran down his spine at the unnatural silence. For the first time in ages, he was _alone_. His personas had been quiet for a while. The adrenaline from the USJ mess and their escape from the police faded, and his body suddenly felt a thousand pounds heavier.

This silence was too loud.

His mind flashed back to Yaldabaoth. The God of Control had toyed with them, used them as puppets, and then threw them away. Ren failed, didn’t he? He was supposed to protect _everyone_ , and now there was a possibility that they would never get to return home. They were so far apart and he didn’t know how to fix it!

The screams of his comrades rang in his ears, their faces contorted in fear were burned into his memory. They were cast away, far out of reach from his hand. 

Ren had _failed_.

No, it wasn’t only that.

 _Joker_ had failed. He let down the Phantom Thieves and the rest of Tokyo, they counted on him to defeat Yaldabaoth and he just... 

Froze. Like a deer in headlights.

Something twisted in his heart like a blade, and he suddenly couldn’t breathe. The air was stolen out of his lungs, the walls seemed to close in on him. His clammy fingers grasped the front of his shirt. He felt a bone-chilling cold spread in his chest, and his body wouldn’t stop trembling.

His agitation didn’t go unnoticed.

_“Little one…”_

_“Big brother? Are you okay?”_

_“Don’t lose heart, Mask Bearer. Please calm yourself!”_

_“Something upset Master! Let me hunt it down and devour it!!”_

_“I’ll take whoever caused your distress and drown them in a sea of filth.”_

The voices were masked by the buzzing static, or was it the dizziness that made the world all fuzzy?

 _“Breathe, Trickster. It is alright, we are all here alongside you.”_ Arsene’s voice was far away amidst the fog, but Ren forced himself to take a deep, ragged breath, _“Good, now let it out.”_

He pressed the air through his throat, and Arsene repeated his instructions several times. Time didn’t matter to one lost in their own mind, and thus it was nearly half an hour before it passed, his personas’ constant presence swept away the panic like a stormy gust.

Ren hugged his knees closer and wiped the blurriness from his eyes. That’s strange, when did he start crying? He pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off the incoming headache and glanced at the time. Midnight was just approaching.

“Thank you, everyone.” He muttered to nobody, “I’m alright, now.”

The flood of voices sent their last encouragements before they disappeared. Only Arsene stayed. Ren knew he would be there until he fell asleep, he always was. There was a scratch at the door. Ren set his glasses on the desk before he scrubbed the remaining tears from his face, then stood to open the door. Morgana pranced in and sat on the cushion.

“You wouldn’t believe how many cat cafes are nearby! There are even sushi restaurants around here! Well, I saw several escape routes too if we happen to-” Morgana’s voice died in his throat when he looked at Ren, his ears perked straight up, “Hey, are you okay?”

Ren smiled, but Morgana saw the exhaustion etched into his face.

“I’ll be fine.”

More silence. Ren didn’t like it, and tried to shove down the bubble of emotions locked in his throat. Finally, Morgana relented.

“If you say so.” Morgana’s ears drooped, but he tactfully changed the subject, “Did you learn anything while I was gone?”

Ren plopped down and Morgana eagerly settled on his lap. There was an article on the screen, discussing the ‘mysterious vigilante’ that appeared during the USJ incident. Ren clicked out of it.

“Nothing that important.”

Morgana’s tail flicked, but he didn’t say anything for a few tense moments.

“I was able to clear my thoughts while out walking, and I think we should go investigate the USJ.”

“Why? The security is probably through the roof right now.”

“Perhaps,” Morgana flicked his ear and looked back at the screen, “Yaldabaoth must’ve sent us there for a reason, though. I don’t know if he knew of the invasion going down or not, but it has to be worth something to go back there, right?”

“I guess,” Ren said as he idly pets Morgana, “I tried to look up its location, but no luck. I don’t remember the way there either.”

“Hmm, then it must be classified information. We were injured and scared, so I don’t remember much. You think the school files would have something?”

“Are you thinking of breaking into U.A.?”

“Maybe. At least think it over, it’s not like we have anything else to do.” He suddenly perked up and glanced at Ren, “Oh, I got another idea while I was out!”

“Yeah?” Ren blinked down at him, “Don’t keep it to yourself.”

Morgana snorted, “It has to do with your personas. Mercurius was right about our powers being different here, and I was wondering if it would be possible to summon one of yours without your costume appearing. Just think how helpful it could be, to appear normal while your personas are in the physical world.”

“I think a few of them might enjoy causing chaos without us getting caught.”

Ren made to stand but froze when Morgana jumped up and placed both of his front paws on his chest. He head bumped Ren’s chin, and Ren couldn’t keep a smile from his face.

“Let’s try it tomorrow. We’re both too exhausted to stay awake much longer.” 

“You could say that again.”

Ren turned off the computer screen and fell back onto the cushion. A warm weight lay over his aching heart.

“Good night, Ren.”

_“Sleep well, Trickster.”_

Ren muttered something, but the darkness had already pulled him in a dreamless slumber.

~*~*~*~

Kaito set his phone down with a sigh.

His quirk allowed him to see many things, a simple glance at somebody and he would experience the people they’ve met, places they’ve been, even some of the food the other person had tasted as if he had experienced it for himself. The visions were always crystal clear, and in all of the 28 years of his life he could never turn it off.

But when those two walked in…

It was like watching an old movie reel, but the edges were burned or frayed, and important pieces were lost to a wierd static. He saw fantastical and _impossible_ sceneries, and monsters that reminded him of several myths he’s read online. Something wasn’t right here. The final few images were exactly like the USJ attack that’s been on the news. Were those two the mysterious vigilantes that appeared? Why did the cat pretend that he couldn’t talk?

He should call the police, but something made him hesitate.

The kid had a sense of _loss,_ such a great sadness within him, and he couldn’t bring himself to turn him in. It was the same for that Aiba girl. His business wouldn’t last much longer under spontaneous discounts and free showers, but they were in desperate need of a roof over their heads. His bleeding heart wouldn’t take no for an answer.

They could stay, as long as they didn’t cause trouble.

He didn’t know it at the time, but giving the kid and his cat a single chance would pay him back tenfold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ren, don't feel bad, buddy. 
> 
> ALSO! We passed 1k hits? Already?? You guys are awesome, thank you so much! ^^


	7. Brotherhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's check up on another pair, shall we?

Makoto collected her things and neatly put them in her bag, then waved farewell to her coworkers. She walked the empty halls and made her way to the stormy gray skies outside, the air heavy with sticky moisture.

“Another rainy day, huh?” She whispered to herself.

She walked down the stone steps and made it to the streets, but her eyes were too focused on the sky to see the figures walking towards her. She was jolted out of her reverie when she knocked shoulders with a boy younger than her, with golden blonde hair and a red overcoat. His yellow eyes bore into her with irritation.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!”

There was the gleam of a silver watch hanging from his pants pocket, and she instantly knew who it was. Part of her job was memorizing important people, and these two were especially infamous lately. She bowed her head. 

“My apologies, Fullmetal.”

Fullmetal glared at her, then rolled his eyes and stomped away.

“B-brother!” The walking suit of armor had a voice that was far too young, “I’m sorry, he’s in a really bad mood today.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Makoto said with a soft smile, “Everyone has off days.”

If she didn’t know better, she would think that the suit of armor was almost blushing. He nodded frantically, and Makoto watched as he caught up with his shorter companion.

“Brother, you shouldn’t be so mean to people! She was really nice about it!”

“Shut up, Al! She was the one who bumped into me first!”

“Why are you like this, Edward?”

Makoto huffed with laughter as they vanished into Central Command. It was odd, how the suit of armor’s steps sounded hollow. She shook her head and continued on her way, either it was just her imagination, or it was a common occurrence in this world. Old styled cars hummed down the roads and people walked the streets, their clothes were strange at first, but she was growing used to them.

She explored through a maze of cobblestone streets and made it to a familiar apartment building just as raindrops pattered around her. The cold keys jingled in her hands as she unlocked the door, then stepped in with a relieved sigh. Her heavy blue overcoat was shrugged off and hung on the hook beside the door, and she slipped off her boots before finally stepping into the kitchen.

“You’re back already?”

Yusuke looked up from where he hovered over the table. The kitchen was a mess, papers and books were piled high on the table and around the floor, glyphs and maps were secured by tape. Several loose sketches covered any bare spots on the walls, so much so that the wooden interior didn’t show at all. Any iota of information about this new world was posted somewhere in this tiny space.

“Yusuke, I left almost seven hours ago.”

Yusuke tilted his head, dislodging a few hairs from his bangs.

“Oh, my apologies.” He straightened his hair and blinked at her, “Did you have a good day then?”

Makoto pulled out the nearest chair and sank into it, “It was…. something. I actually ran into another State Alchemist today.”

“Oh?” Yusuke’s hands twitched as he grabbed for a pencil, “What was he like?”

“One was short and angry, the other was just a walking suit of armor, but he was a lot calmer.” She said with a chuckle, “Other than that it was a rather boring day, but an office job is safer than being out in the front lines. I did manage to grab a few new books to add to our collection, though.”

Yusuke’s eyes brightened as Makoto handed her bag over. He eagerly took a heavy tome out and cracked it open.

“Have you made any progress since this morning?” She asked.

“Some.” Yusuke looked up from the book, and glanced at the intricate circles taped on the walls, “I learned that ice alchemy is rather common, so I should be able to hide a majority of Susanoo’s abilities. But I haven’t encountered anything resembling nuclear energy, so hiding your persona’s powers might be a bit more difficult.”

Makoto hummed as he tapped her finger on the paper-laden table, “Maybe we could disguise it as something else. There might be alchemy dealing with light, or we could use it as a unique type of fire.”

“Maybe. I’ll continue my research and let you know what I find.” Yusuke’s eyes fell back into the book, “I also made some coffee. I tried to imitate the way Ren made it, but I am no master of coffee pouring.”

“Thanks.” She said softly.

Makoto stood from the chair and traversed through the towers of books, and reached one of the few clear spots on the counter. The coffee was still warm as she poured herself a cup. Yusuke tried, but nobody would ever be able to replicate the intricate flavors of their leader’s coffee. She tried to ignore the sharp stab in her chest when she thought of everyone, and wondering if they were safe or not drove her crazy.

The first few days in this new world were…. difficult, but hearing their persona’s voices after the second day made things a little better. They agreed to a solid plan after the first few nights spent on the streets, thankfully they were settled in this apartment within two weeks.

Makoto took a job within this world’s military to get an understanding of how their government worked, and to earn money for both of them to rent this tiny place. She would lay low and keep an ear to the ground for any news of their comrades. Makoto would talk to the people and learn rumors and stories from surrounding lands.

Yusuke did what he did best. People watching, understanding the art and culture, sketching anything he could to add to their growing wall. Makoto pointed out that Amestris highly resembled Germany, which only sparked a long and colorful speech on the artists from that country.

But more importantly, they were a team.

They both studied the strange force of nature called Alchemy. This force had its own laws and balances, and it was the sole source of power within the country they found themselves in. His art skills worked hand in hand with drawing the transmutation circles, while she did her best to dig up information.

One thing was clear, though.

They could _not_ be discovered. Their personas were unique and held a range of powers that matched what several State Alchemists could do. If they were caught….

She didn’t want to think of it. They could be used as experiments or imprisoned, possibly _worse_ , and then they might not ever find a way home.

“Are you alright?” Yusuke asked, as if he sensed her unease, “I apologize if the coffee isn’t up to standard.”

“I’m fine,” She tried to smile, but it came out forced, “I’m just wondering what our next move should be. I can’t help but wonder how Joker would handle this.” 

“Indeed, this whole situation is troubling.” Yusuke peered into her for several seconds, then sighed as he set the book down, “He would lead us without hesitation, with that suave and confident aura he always projects.”

“Yeah. I can almost hear Morgana calling us a bunch of wet blankets right about now.”

“Or Ryuji getting impatient and just going all in, guns blazing. Ann would try and follow along, calling him an idiot all the while.”

“Yeah….” Makoto frowned as she stared into her mug, then took another slow sip.

“They are alright, you know. We Phantom Thieves are resilient and resourceful. Everyone fell into those gates in pairs, so nobody is alone. We will get through this, _all_ of us, in one piece.”

“You’re right.” Makoto set her cup down and approached the largest map on the wall, “And then we can repay Yaldabaoth tenfold for what he’s done.”

Yusuke smiled, “Exactly. So, what were you thinking earlier?”

“It’s nothing.” Makoto absorbed the names printed on the map, then turned to Yusuke, “I was thinking of trying to use my skills to go up a rank or two in the military, but that would be risky.”

“Hmm, we could gain more useful information, as long as you don’t stand out too much.” Yusuke grasped his chin in thought, and frowned, “But we have to make sure not to get attached to anything in this world. We were never meant to exist in this place, and that in itself could have some dire consequences.”

"I know." Makoto said as she set her hands on her hips, “I bet everyone will have some good stories to tell.”

“Indeed. You can tell them all about that Lieutenant Colonel that shows everyone pictures of his daughter.”

“And how you chased a small family out of a store because you wanted ‘to capture the spirit of consumerism in a strange land.’ I bet the others will have a good laugh at that.”

“W-well that’s…” Yusuke turned a shade of red and cleared his throat, “How else are we supposed to remember them after we return home?”

“You’re right. I could tell them of the Colonel that wanted the women in the military to wear short miniskirts. I heard his second in command nearly shot him for that. I’m sure that story could cover up your embarrassment. In any case,” She glanced at the bags under Yusuke’s eyes, “You should get some rest, I can take over for a few hours.”

“...Are you sure? You’ve been working all day.”

“Yusuke,” He tensed at her sharp tone, “Did you even sleep last night?”

“I was working on an exquisite portrait of a woman I saw at a nearby cafe.” He looked away and fidgeted with the edge of his sleeve, “So no, but-”

“But nothing.” She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him towards the hall, “Don’t make me pull a Morgana on you and tell you to go to bed.”

“Very well…”

Yusuke slumped in defeat and wandered into his bedroom. Makoto sighed after a few moments of silence, then she glanced over to the mountain of books on the table. Reading would take her mind off of things. She found herself glancing over the same passages several times, her brain didn’t comprehend the words, and there was a sudden burn of tears in her eyes.

“Oh, Ren.” She whispered, “Please be alright. I don’t know what we would do if we were stuck here forever and I never got to see you again.”

The warmth of her persona’s presence did nothing to soothe her heartache.

But she held on, the promise of being reunited with her friends was one that burned into her very soul. She and Yusuke would return home and see them again.

No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, Makoto and Yusuke are a little farther a long in their time line, so they are doing a bit better than Joker and Mona at the moment. 
> 
> There will be a chapter every once in a great while checking in on the other Phantom Thieves, but it will mostly stick to Joker and Mona's adventures in MHA.


	8. The Poem Of Everyone's Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren froze when he noticed his audience.

The human psyche is a delicate thing.

It shifts and molds and grows like the seasons, gains new flavors and textures as one travels through life, but Arsene had never seen one so bare. Blackness permeated the space around them like an empty night sky, it smothered his senses, and he only caught quick flashes of eyes or scales or the odd feather or two from the other personas. That peaceful song had gone silent. It has been this way ever since Yaldabaoth sent down that black wind and banished them.

 _“...Is big brother going to be okay?”_ A small, innocent voice echoed through the inky blackness.

 _“He’s hurting.”_ Another said, Arsene couldn’t see who it was, but recognized the bubbly voice, _“And I know not how to make him feel better.”_

 _“Master will pull through!”_ Cerberus, who lounged nearby, would howl it to the moon if he could, _“After all, he has us!”_

 _“Of course he’ll be fine,”_ This one’s voice was dainty, yet commanding, as she floated on invisible winds with sparkling gossamer wings, _“I would never follow a weak man. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother being here.”_

“Careful what you say, Titania.” Arsene growled, his great black wings flared a warning, “We all swore a vow to the Trickster, ‘I am thou, thou art I’. It is a promised bond that can never be broken.”

 _“Of course. I meant nothing by it, Arsene.”_ She teased, _“The Trickster shall have us at his back for the rest of eternity, but don’t you sense that something else is wrong with him? Do you not feel the sorrow in his soul? You were the First, you should know better than everyone else.”_

Arsene saw her faint form glide through the darkness towards him.

_“Everything has been turned on its head since we got to this new world. We are different in this realm Yaldabaoth has banished us to, no longer bound by the sea of human souls.”_

“What exactly are you getting at?”

_“We are…. ourselves? No longer one copy amidst many. I feel whole for the first time in ages.”_

Arsene hummed as he looked down at his clawed hands. He curled them into fists. It’s true. In the old world, they were nothing but whispers and hollow shadows, only solid and powerful while in Palaces or Mementos. Here, in this new world, they were all _alive_. They were changing. Were they naturally becoming more corporeal, or was there something morphing within the Trickster that caused it?

Perhaps it was the odd energy of this new world that was the catalyst.

 _“Lady Titania has a point,”_ The innocent one said, _“The Magician’s persona said that our powers will work differently.”_

 _“Ooh!”_ The bubbly one giggled, _“Won’t this be fun? Who knows what we’ll experience in this new world!?”_

 _“As long as Master can be happy.”_ Cerberus wagged his metal tail like an excited pup.

“See?” Titania whispered in Arsene’s ear as she slid her arms around his shoulders, “There’s no need to be so worried, Arsene. Everything will fall into place.”

Arsene huffed, ignoring the intoxicating scent of sunshine and early morning dew as he freed himself from her silky grasp. He missed how she pouted at him. Not that he cared too much about her wiles.

“We’ll wait and see, anything can happen at this point in time.” He said, tucking in his wings and tracing the rim of his hat, “It’s all we can do for now.”

Suddenly, there was movement, the largest amongst them all stirred in a rustling of golden scales. Great crimson eyes stared down from above, a growl resembling a great earthquake rumbled through the mindscape.

 _“Uh oh,”_ The bubbly one whispered, _“We woke up grandpa. Sorry, old boy.”_

Another grumble, then a snort blew down on them with the raging power of a typhoon. Arsene held the tip of his hat so it wouldn’t blow away, and his elegant feathers were ruffled into an unsavory mess. The old one wasn’t even sorry as he slipped further into the blackness to sleep in peace, the tip of his magnificent tail was the last thing they saw of him.

Arsene silently cursed to himself as he straightened out his messy wings, then turned to the others who were laughing at him. They gained a sudden seriousness as he studied them with burning eyes.

“We should adjourn this little meeting before we disturb anybody else.” He shook his head with a sigh, “The Trickster is bound to wake up soon, he’ll need all of us for support. Go and get some rest while you can.”

Everyone hummed in agreement, then they vanished amidst endless darkness. Arsene was alone now. For once, he was thankful for the quiet, so he could get his thoughts in order. Is this how the Trickster felt when leading the Phantom Thieves? The other personas had a quiet respect for him, being the First one to manifest. He was purely Joker’s other self.

Sure, the other personas teased him and pushed his buttons sometimes, but it was in the same friendly demeanor that the Phantom Thieves had for their leader. Arsene tapped his chin in thought.

“I wonder where this new path will lead us, Joker. I don’t know where it’ll go,” He whispered to himself, “But I’m eager to see it through to the end.”

~*~*~*~

Ren peeled his eyes open with a groan.

His muscles were as stiff as a board, his bones creaked ominously as he forced himself into a sitting position. The clock sitting on the desk was a few minutes shy of 7:30 in the morning. Soft snores drew him to the other warm spot on his side. Morgana slept on his back, paws in the air, his foot occasionally twitching in some odd dream. Ren gently poked him in the side.

“Hey, Morgana.”

The cat grumbled as he opened an eye, “What…?”

“I’m gonna go shower and see what we could scrounge up for breakfast.”

“Okay.” He closed his eyes and relaxed back in the cushion, “I’ll be up in a few….”

Ren chuckled as Morgana nodded off with an adorable snore. His joints cracked as he stepped out and wandered towards the end of the hallway, the other tenant’s door was firmly shut and he didn’t hear a peep out of it. He shut the bathroom door, making sure the lock clicked as he studied the small space. It was clean, for the most part. Piles of miniature toiletries were lined on the counter, alongside some plush towels.

Ren approached the mirror and leaned over the sink, he was pale and the bags under his eyes haven’t lessened any. His steely eyes stared right back at him.

“Arsene?”

There was a tiny flicker of gold that surrounded his pupils like a glittering puddle.

 _“I am here, Trickster.”_ Arsene said softly, _“As are the others.”_

“Good,” Ren sighed in relief, “Have you recovered your strength?”

 _“We should be asking you that,”_ There was a soft ruffling of feathers, _“But yes. A decent night’s sleep has done us all good.”_

“I’ll be fine, but we should keep our guard up. Yesterday was bad enough.”

_“Understood.”_

The gold in his eyes faded, and Ren sighed. He wished everything that happened yesterday was just a bad dream, that he would wake up in Leblanc’s attic to find that nothing was amiss. He shook his head and backed away from the sink, then turned to the shower. The hot water soothed his sore muscles and he was out in less than fifteen minutes, he would have to wear the same clothes, but that wouldn’t be a big deal. He smuggled away some of the toiletries and a fresh toothbrush, then made his way back to his room.

Morgana was still asleep, so Ren left him in peace as he packed the items away. He debated on eating the leftover meat buns and coffee, but decided against it. He stalked out of his room and went to the lounge area. It was still empty, so he was free to raid the kitchenette. Ren opened the closest cabinet and smirked.

“Instant curry?” He snatched up the plastic packets, “It won’t be as good as Sojiro’s but…”

He’s done this a thousand and one times already, Sojiro had taught him everything on how to make a batch of homemade curry, but the instant stuff would have to do. His practiced hands followed the motions, and he even found extra spices and the tools to hand brew fresh coffee. It wasn’t much longer before the kitchen gained a heavenly aroma. The curry was steaming hot as he ladled it over rice and poured the coffee into a mug. 

Ren froze when he noticed his audience. It was a girl half his height, with droopy raspberry hair dangling all the way to the floor. Hollow maroon eyes studied his every movement, her clothes were wrinkled and had odd stains on them. A pang of sympathy lurched in his chest.

He’s seen those empty eyes before.

Futaba was in a rough patch when she contacted the Phantom Thieves in desperation, the pain had cut so deep into her heart that she was on her last strings. Ren didn’t want to think about how it would end if they didn’t succeed in stealing her heart. That exact same hopeless stare bore into him again.

“I made some breakfast if you’re hungry.” He said with a genuine, soft smile, “And brewed some coffee, but I can make you tea if you’d prefer that.”

The girl said nothing, only stared ominously. He hummed, then walked to the other side of the lounge and set the meal on the coffee table. He motioned to it, then stared back at her.

“Feel free to help yourself.”

He caught some semblance of surprise on her face as he got a second helping. He paused with the warm dishes in his hands and glanced towards the other side of the room. Perhaps Kaito would like some too? Maroon eyes stared at his back as he wandered to the front desk. The man gaped at him when he set the meal down.

“What’s this?”

“Breakfast, in case you haven’t had any yet. Take it as a thank you for giving us the discount.”

Kaito glanced between Ren and the tantalizing plate. Ren held back laughter as Kaito took his first bite, then stood from his chair with a bug-eyed look.

“This is good!” He said, “I didn’t think we had the ingredients for homemade curry.”

“It’s not. It’s the instant stuff, I just added my own touch to it.” Ren said with a tiny smirk, “The other tenant must’ve thought so too because she watched me make it.”

“You…” Kaito nearly dropped his spoon, “Miss Aiba actually left her cubicle?”

“Yeah.” Ren raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

“She hasn’t come out in months! I wouldn’t have given up if I knew she would come out for some decent curry.”

Ren hummed as he tucked that information away for later. Another mark that made this Aiba girl similar to Futaba. Far too similar for his liking. Ren left Kaito with the food as he made his way back to the kitchen. The short girl froze like a deer in the headlights, but he smiled when he saw that her plate was half cleaned. He took the last of the food, washed the dishes, then went back to his cubicle to eat.

“There you are!” Morgana said as he plopped down, “Hey, where’s my breakfast?”

“They didn’t have any cat food, so we'll have to pick up some after we leave.” Ren set the coffee mug on the desk, “What have you been looking up while I was gone?”

Morgana sulked, his tail twitching, but he turned to the screen.

“I was looking up this U.A. school. It’s almost infamous at this point. Just this year alone they hired the #1 hero in Japan, had a break-in, and now this villain attack.”

Ren chuckled as Morgana tapped away on the keyboard.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” Ren said, despite his smirk, “I just find it weird how you can use a mouse and keyboard when you’ve had troubles trying to open locked doors before.”

“Hey! It’s not easy to work a lock pick with these tiny paws!”

That only made him laugh harder, much to Morgana’s ire. It took him a moment to reign it in, but Morgana’s next words were like a nail in the coffin.

“Have you thought about what I said?”

Ren frowned, “About what?”

“The school!” Morgana rolled his eyes and hopped away from the computer, “The USJ is one of their facilities. I thought it would be best if we tried to get information straight from the source, we could blend in with the journalists currently storming the school gate. It’ll be perfect!”

“What if we get caught? I’m sure that’ll be a fun headline.”

“They only saw you in your mask and costume,” He said with a flick of his ear, “I don’t think they’ll notice as long as we don’t draw attention to ourselves.”

It didn’t sit well with Ren, but what choice did they have? Morgana had a point, besides there was only so much information they could learn from the safety of an internet cafe.

“Fine. I still don’t like it though.”

“You don’t have to.” Morgana said with a soft smile, “I don’t like this situation more than you do, but we have to do whatever we can to get back home.”

Ren grimaced, then nodded. They were silent after that, looking up articles here and there as Ren finished his breakfast. The computer was turned off and they gathered up their things, Ren made sure to swipe his glasses before they left the cubicle. Morgana was perched on his shoulder as they crossed the kitchen, where the pink-haired girl had fallen asleep on the couch, plate wiped clean. There was even a smudge of sauce on her lips. Ren silently grabbed her dishes, ignoring Morgana’s curious stares, and set them in the sink.

Kaito looked up from his coffee when they emerged.

“Checking out already? You guys still have a couple of hours left, you know.”

Ren shrugged, “We have a few errands to run, so we can’t stay.”

“If you say so.” Kaito blinked, then stared into his coffee mug, “The discount will last for a while, so feel free to come back if you need a place to sleep.”

Ren nodded his thanks before leaving. The streets were filled with men in business suits, parents walking children to school, small groups of wandering teens, and the occasional dog walker here and there. Cars thrummed down the streets, and there was even a hero posing with fans down the way. They did read that they were like celebrities, but this was ridiculous.

“This place is a lot different compared to the daytime.” Morgana whispered.

A few people gave him odd looks, but he ignored them as they ducked into the maze of alleyways. They turned a few corners before Morgana spoke.

“So, what was with that girl?”

“What girl?”

“The girl in the internet cafe? The one sleeping on the couch.” 

“Nothing.” Ren stopped and stared into Morgana’s eyes, “She just reminded me of Futaba before she joined the Phantom Thieves, so I shared food with her. Is that bad?”

“Of course not.” Morgana said as he hopped off his shoulder and landed on a garbage bin, “But we probably shouldn’t stand out too much as is.”

“I know,” Ren said with a frown, “I couldn’t just leave her like that. What’s the harm in showing a little kindness? Besides, we can’t go stealing hearts as we could in our old world, so how else was I supposed to help?”

Morgana studied him for a moment. Ren held his gaze, unflinching. Finally, Morgana sighed and sat down on the bin with his tail curled around his feet.

“I understand. So,” His tune changed, and he smiled at Ren, “Here seems to be a good place to practice.”

“Practice?”

Morgana leveled him with a deadpanned look, “You should learn to summon your personas without your costume appearing, if thats even possible. I’ll keep a lookout using Mercurius’ new powers.”

“What new powers?”

“I’m… not really sure yet,” Morgana said, then he looked to the other end of the alley, “It’s like I can feel the wind around us as easy as breathing. I can sense them, and anything that disturbs them. I couldn’t even do that in Mementos, so this will be good practice to me too.”

Ren hummed, then set down the bag of items at his feet.

“I need one that won’t stick out too much.”

“In this world of strange powers?” Morgana tilted his head, “I don’t think it would be too hard for anything to blend in.”

“Tell that to Mara.”

Morgana wrinkled his nose in disgust, “You don’t still have him, do you?”

“No,” Ren said with a shake of his head, “I sacrificed him before we faced Yaldabaoth.”

“Good riddance. Just choose a smaller one then, and we can go from there.”

Ren scanned through his personas, who waited eagerly at the precipice of his mind. Something that would blend in, or that was small and ‘normal’ looking. Ren snapped his fingers as he called the perfect name.

“Yatagarasu!”

Blue flames erupted around him as his costume burst into the real world, the whoosh of steady wings beat in his ears. Ren held his arm out for the bird to perch on. He was larger than a regular raven and there was a slick green sheen to his dark feathers. Perhaps people wouldn’t give him a second look if it weren’t for the necklace of magatama around his neck or the fact that he had three legs.

But hey, nobody’s perfect.

“The Trickster has chosen wisely,” Yatagarasu’s voice was as elegant as the rising sun, “Where shall my wings lead us?”

“Nowhere just yet.” Morgana said, “We can’t exactly blend in when Joker’s in full costume.”

Yatagarasu tilted his head as if he were trying to solve an intriguing puzzle. He shifted on Joker’s arm and puffed up his feathers.

“Trickster, can you feel our bond?”

“Without a doubt.” Joker said, “I can feel it with all of you.”

“Good, now close your eyes,” Joker did, and he listened to Yatagarasu’s comforting voice, “Visualize our bond as if it were a thread that connected us together. Excellent! Imagine this thread to be as fine as a thread of silk.”

Joker pictured the emerald thread twisting in the darkness, brows creasing as he thinned it down to be as fine as a single strand of hair. Suddenly, there was a strange tug, and his eyes flew open to blue cinders dancing around in the air.

Yatagarasu still sat on his arm, but his costume was gone. The noble bird looked as proud as he felt.

“Woah…” Morgana gaped at the both of them, “Was it really that easy?”

“I had no doubt in my mind that the Trickster would pull it off!” Yatagarasu said with a sharp nod, “But it was easier to accomplish because I am one of the weakest masks. The bigger or more powerful the persona, the finer your control will need to be.”

“Alright, I’ll have to find somewhere to practice with the others.” Ren said as he straightened his glasses with his free hand, “But how did you know to do that?”

The raven lifted one wing in a semblance of a shrug, “A new world dawns new instincts, Trickster. I cannot explain how I knew.”

“Well, this took less time than I anticipated!” Morgana stood with an excited gleam to his eyes, “Do you think you could be our eye in the sky, Yatagarasu? We don’t know what we’ll come across when we approach U.A.”

Yatagarasu glanced at Ren, who nodded and held his arm higher in the air.

“Very well. Let me be your guiding wings.”

The dignified bird soared from his arm and vanished over the rooftops with powerful wing beats. There was an odd stir in Ren’s chest, this connection with Yatagarasu was strong and stable, and he somehow knew where the persona was despite being nothing but a smudge in the air.

_“Follow me, Trickster!”_

Ren jumped, “Yatagarasu?”

_“Indeed. The skies are giving us favorable winds today. I know where we must go.”_

Morgana blinked at him, “Can you still speak telepathically to him?”

He nodded, and Morgana positively beamed. Morgana leapt off the garbage bin and pranced to the end of the alley.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” He said, “We have some detective work to do!”

Ren sighed, then followed after them.

Maybe this will be fun after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hoped you enjoyed that chapter! 
> 
> So, Titania and Yatagarasu are officially added to the list, and there were a couple of hints as to what the others could be.


	9. Crossroads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s the Sports Festival?” Ren whispered to himself.
> 
> “You don’t know what the Sports Festival is? What, have you been living under a rock?”
> 
> That question drew other eyes to him.

“Do I have to stay here?” Morgana whined.

“I think you’d stand out more than me.” Ren raised a brow as he tucked the item bag behind a dumpster, “We can’t risk getting caught now.”

“But don’t you need someone to watch your back? Who knows what those reporters will do to get their story! What if they do something crazy and I’m not around to support you?”

“Don’t worry so much. Yatagarasu is flying overhead,” Ren said, “He’ll back me up in a pinch. Besides, I need you to protect our items. You think you can do that?”

He flicked his tail and huffed, before sitting next to the bag with pouty ears.

“Just don’t take too long, okay?” Morgana stared at him with an inscrutable expression, “We don’t want to risk them recognizing you either. Even without your costume, your hair is pretty distinct. We don't have the Metaverse to protect our identities anymore.”

“Don't worry, I'll be careful,” He waved as he stepped out of the alley, “I promise.”

The streets next to the ridiculously large school were lined with cafes and small shops, perfect for tired students to hang out after class. It didn’t take a genius to decipher the pandemonium in front of the gate, reporters were clustered together and cameras were shoved into the faces of two figures. It was easy for Ren to swipe an extra notepad and pen from an unsuspecting reporter, and took on the role of a nervous intern.

“Is it true that the attack by the League of Villains was an attempt on All Might’s life!?” One woman shouted.

Ren was about to shoulder his way to the front when a familiar voice froze him in his tracks.

“An incredibly stupid move on the League’s part,” The hobo droned, “And you all know how that ended.”

Ren cursed under his breath as the hero was bombarded with other questions, the yellow cockatoo of a man stood beside him, sweating nervously underneath his grin. If _he_ was here, then Ren had to be extra careful. He moved off to the side and hid behind a line of cameramen to avoid the dark hero’s eyes.

_“Yatagarasu, how’s it looking?”_

Ren almost felt the wind beneath the bird’s wings as Yatagarasu banked to the left, looking no more than a dot gliding across the sky.

 _“This place is expansive, Trickster,”_ He said, _“I would compare the main building to Madarame’s Palace in size, perhaps a bit larger. The grounds stretch far beneath me, and I see a forest and several other structures off in the distance.”_

Just what kind of budget did these people have? And this was _just_ a school? There was so much they didn’t know, and that could cost them dearly unless they did something about it.

“What news do you have on the vigilante that appeared during the attack?” A woman with a ponytail shoved a microphone in the heroes’ faces, “Is it true that he escaped from police custody?”

Ren snapped his attention towards them as the hobo glared at her, but the media shark was unfazed.

“No comment.”

“Sources say that his quirk can control a variety of demons, as there was a civilian video released to the public yesterday. The vigilante was able to escape because a great winged being burst to life and cut off the hero chasing him! In fact,” The woman simply grinned and inched closer, “You look just like that hero, Eraserhead.”

Ren grimaced. There was a video? How? Was it from some person with a powerful quirk? These people and their quirks were starting to give him a headache. But he smirked as Eraserhead’s eye twitched, he had no time to answer before another vulture descended upon him.

“I have an insider comment that says the vigilante healed someone during the attack! Does this vigilante have multiple quirks, then!? If his quirk is unregistered, then are you going to press additional charges on him!? How are the police planning to recapture him!?”

“No comment.”

“Now, now!” The vultures cried in outrage, and the yellow cockatoo waved his hands frantically. “No more questions! This will be your last warning to vacate the premises before the police are notified!”

They turned and walked into the school, but the ponytail woman followed after them.

“Wait! One last question!” She cried, “Is the Sports Festival still on, or is it canceled?”

Cockatoo stopped as Eraserhead walked on without him, grumbling.

“Principal Nezu will make an announcement about that after the students resume their classes! You’ll have to wait until then!”

They dove into the safety of the school, but the vultures weren’t giving up. The woman stepped past the threshold and alarms blared out into the streets. A gate slammed shut like steel jaws, she screeched like a banshee and kicked at it repeatedly.

“Damnit! They just had to go and fix this crummy gate!”

“Stop being greedy!” Another pounded it with his fist, “The public demands answers!”

Well, it looks like they weren’t getting a decent story today. There was one thing that caught Ren’s attention though, he wrote it down and placed a question mark beside it.

“What’s the Sports Festival?” He whispered to himself.

“You don’t know what the Sports Festival is? What, have you been living under a rock?”

That question drew other eyes to him.

Ren looked over to a tall man standing a few feet from him. He was strange looking, despite his easy smile, with mismatched pupils and an angular face. His wavy black hair hung loosely over one side of his face. 

“W-well, I only came to Japan recently.” Ren plastered on an innocent face. “My parents are Japanese American you see, and I decided to come here to earn money for my grandparents.”

The other eyes turned away in disinterest, but the man’s smile twitched, his eyes sharpened like a blade. Ren felt goosebumps break out on his arms and his guard shot up, but he didn’t drop his facade.

“Is that so?” The man purred, “Well, then I’ll enlighten you. The Sports Festival is an annual tradition that U.A. holds, its an open event for the public and is broadcast all across Japan. The students participate in athletic stunts, with the final rounds always ending in a tournament. People mainly just watch it because the hero courses show off their skills.”

“And anyone can just walk in?”

The man’s easy smile turned to a sly grin, “Well, I wouldn’t expect villains to just waltz up to the place, and the security will be crazy tight, but yeah. Open to the public as long as you buy a ticket. U.A. makes most of its money from that alone. I bet the 1-A stadium will be packed because of the USJ incident though.”

“Thanks for the info.” Ren said, “And when would it usually be held?”

“About two weeks from now,” The man hummed, “Depending on if they cancel it or not, but knowing U.A. they’ll keep it going. Have to show those villains that they can’t mess with them or something along those lines.”

Two weeks. They had two weeks to come up with an invasion plan, and then somehow pull it off without tipping off the crazy security. It’s nothing they haven’t dealt with before, but this was the real world, not the metaverse.

“I can see those gears turning, kid.” The man produced a business card and handed it to Ren, “I like you, so here’s my card. Contact me in case anything _interesting_ happens, alright?”

Ren took the card, which read Tokuda Taneo, a freelancer for Juzo News. He was about to thank the man, but he was gone by the time Ren looked up. Ren swiveled his head to no avail, he just up and disappeared. He could teach the other Phantom Thieves a thing or two about stealth. In any case, he got some good information, so Morgana should be happy enough not to scold him.

Other reporters were still kicking at the door, but they could only beat a dead horse so many times before they eventually figured it out. He flipped the notepad closed and tucked the card into his pocket, then stalked away from the irate reporters. The dot in the sky followed.

_“How are you holding up?”_

_“I am fine, Trickster.”_ Yatagarasu said with a hint of amusement, _“I do not bear the title of Amaterasu’s Messenger because of weak wings.”_

Ren chuckled, _“Good, keep an eye out while I inform Morgana of what we learned.”_

_“Roger.”_

Morgana still next to the item bag, but his ears perked up when Ren walked into the alleyway. He jumped up and pranced towards him like an excited kitten.

“So? Learn anything interesting?”

“I found a way into the school,” Ren said with a smirk, “And we have plenty of time to plan.”

Morgana was all ears as he told him everything, including a potential new contact within the media.

“But I see a problem.”

“Oh?”

Morgana shook his head, “U.A. isn’t a palace, so we can’t just go in and scout out everything as we could before. It’ll have to be a one time gig. We can’t mess up.”

“Hmm,” Ren looked up as Yatagarasu flew between the spaces of the buildings, “We can have Yatagarasu scout it out for us. It won’t be perfect, and we won’t know the indoor layout of the buildings, but it’ll be better than going in completely blind.”

“Good idea,” Morgana said with a smile, “I think it’ll be good to get a decent layout of this city, too. If we’re going to pull off something during the Sports Festival, then knowing the ins and outs of the surrounding area is crucial. Besides, we have to get used to this place one way or another.”

“If we can even get a ticket. We only have 2200 yen left and I doubt that’s enough.”

“True…” Morgana’s ears and tail drooped, “But one thing at a time. We’ll figure it out, we always do in the end. Right, leader?”

Ren nodded, “Right.”

He swept up their item bag and tossed it over his shoulder, with Morgana resuming his usual perch on the other. They crept from the alleyway and out to the city. The streets were filled with ambient life, from laughing kids running about without a care in the world to small families out for a walk. Ren jotted down unique places or landmarks, then they stopped at a verdant park for lunch. They split the last meat bun, and Morgana complained nonstop about it not being tuna.

“I’ll get you all the tuna you want when we fix our tight finances,” Ren said, “Sound good?”

“I’m holding you to that promise!” He said as he devoured the bun with gusto.

Ren snorted as he finished off his not so iced coffee, then they moved on. They idly passed through a shopping district and noted anything interesting, the occasional side glances were brushed off as they made their way through the city.

 _“There’s a hero the next street over. He’s not one I recognize from our previous encounters.”_ Yatagarasu warned, _“Be careful.”_

“What’s wrong?” Morgana whispered as Ren stopped in his tracks.

“There’s a hero nearby.”

Morgana flicked his tail in thought, “We should go see what they’re about.”

“Are you crazy?” Ren slipped into an alley when the coast was clear, “Do you want us to get caught?”

“It’s not just buildings we’re scouting,” Morgana nodded, “Any person of notable value should be on our list as well.”

“I…” Ren sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I guess you’re right.”

“Aren’t I always?”

Ren deadpanned at him, then looked up to the sky.

_“Where exactly?”_

_“Continue through that alley and take a right at the end, Trickster. The hero is posing with a growing number of fans.”_

He stalked down the alleyway with practiced steps, keeping them silent and unknowable. It became obvious, as they grew closer to the street, that this hero was popular. A crowd of women were swooning around a hero dressed up in flashy knight’s armor, so bright that it reflected the sun’s rays with blinding accuracy. White hair rained down his back and his eyes were a piercing blue, his complexion pale and spotless.

This hero had a woman on each arm and smiled brightly as they took several selfies with him.

“Hey, it’s my turn!” One girl said, stomping her foot.

“I just got here, so wait in line!” The one on the hero’s right arm said.

“Ladies, please,” They hero smiled gently, and some of the women looked close to fainting, “There’s plenty of me to go around! I-”

The whole street froze as an explosion erupted down the street, plumes of dust and debris rained down as civilian screams rang through the air. The hero shrugged from his fans’ grip and surged into action, his cerulean cape flared dramatically. Ren wasn’t the only one to crowd around the scene, screams of terror turned to cheers as the silver knight materialized a flowery rapier in his hands. Some thugs emerged from the debris, clutching a few bags of cash.

“Surrender villains!” He swung his weapon in a singing arc, “Or fall under my valiant blade!”

“Is this supposed to be like a bad play?” Morgana whispered.

“Who knows…” Ren said, “Let’s see what happens.”

The first thug charged with a battle cry, the silver hero smirked before there was a flash of light. The crowd gasped as the knight appeared on the opposite side of the criminal, there was a second of silence before the thief collapsed like a ragdoll.

“Give up yet?” The hero called to the two other thugs, “Or do you want to suffer the same fate as your friend?”

They looked in between each other, then dropped the bags and got to their knees.

“Is it me, or was that too easy?” Ren muttered.

“Yeah, something doesn’t feel right with that man.” 

Morgana narrowed his eyes at the hero as police sirens screamed in the background. He scanned the crowd, and stiffened.

“Ren, three o’clock.”

He glanced over to a familiar head of green hair, his eyes sparkled like stars as he feverishly wrote in a notebook. The kid looked fine, but Ren hoped there wouldn’t be any lasting effects from the USJ. 

“Let’s get out of here before he sees us.” Morgana said.

They turned away, leaving the chaos behind to find quieter streets. Morgana remained silent for a while, even as the sun began to set. Ren wandered aimlessly until the aroma of salt permeated the air, the crash of waves was hypnotic.

“Who knew there was a beach here?”

Morgana snapped out of whatever thoughts were plaguing him and glanced towards the stretch of sparkling sand dyed by the last rays of the sun. It was beautiful, with crystal clear waters and a pier stretching out over the waves. Despite this, it was barren.

 _“Ah, to have the sea breeze under my wings again.”_ Yatagarasu said, _“It certainly brings back memories.”_

Ren smiled as he looked to their eyes in the sky, then climbed down the set of stairs along the sea wall. He was half tempted to take off his shoes and sink his toes into the sand, but Morgana nudged his face and looked over to the pier.

“What’s wrong, Morgana?” Ren said as sand gave away to the wooden pier, “You’ve been quiet since that hero fight.”

Morgana jumped from his shoulder and onto the railing, curling his tail around his feet as he looked out to the purple waves below.

“You can’t tell me that the hero didn’t feel off.”

“Well, no.” Ren said as he leaned on the railing next to his partner, “He honestly felt like a mix between Kamoshida and Shido. It almost made me sick.”

He hummed, “We’re still Phantom Thieves, but I wish we could do something about it.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t,” Ren looked pointedly to the mystical bird floating gracefully on the breeze, “We still have our powers, we can investigate.”

“I know, but…” Morgana pressed his ears flat to his head and sulked, “I’m torn. We were never supposed to exist here, our actions could have consequences that could change the course of this world’s history. But if people are suffering, and we sit here and do nothing about it, then what does that make us?”

“What if,” Ren tapped his finger on the railing, “We continue our work?”

Morgana scrunched his brow, “What exactly are you getting at?”

“The Phantom Thieves aren’t done for.” Ren nodded with certainty, “We resume our job in this world, establish contacts and get more information, and then maybe we can find a way home, too. If we build a reputation, then it’ll be easier for our friends to find us in case they make it here.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“Nope.”

“There aren’t Palaces or Mementos to invade, or stealing Treasures to change people’s hearts. We’ll have to do it another way.”

“I know.”

“Then it sounds like we have the makings of a plan.” Morgana snorted, and there was finally a smile in his eyes, “But why don’t we call it for today? The sun’s already set.”

Ren looked up to the starry sky. When did it get so late? He sighed and turned away from the oceanic view, Morgana didn't take to his usual perch and walked beside his feet. The beach was left behind as they made their way towards the internet cafe, but they made a quick stop into the adjacent alleyway.

Ren held out his arm, and Yatagarasu gracefully dove through the air to land on it. He winced when three sets of talons dug into his arm.

“You did well today.” Ren said with a smirk, “I’m proud of you.”

“This one is always eager to serve, Trickster.” Yatagarasu puffed up his chest, the magatama bounced against his slick feathers, “I will always be your faithful wings.”

With a burst of blue cinders, Yatagarasu vanished. Ren straightened his glasses with a sigh, he felt several presences welcome Yatagarasu back into his mind. He ignored their voices, for now. Morgana followed silently as they went to the front and entered.

“-And I’m telling you I don’t have that kind of cash this month. Business has been tight.”

Ren and Morgana froze at the group crowding around the front desk. A familiar silver clad hero leaned over the desk with a sickening smirk on his face, three thugs surrounded Kaito, who had a dark glare. Ren frowned, these looked like the same thugs from the incident earlier.

Unfortunately, the bell on the door caught everyone’s attention. The knight absolutely beamed, it made Ren’s stomach turn.

“Well, look! You have a customer right here.” There was a sharp _tap_ of metal on wood as the hero summoned his sword, “I think you’re bullshitting me. You’re just hiding the money, aren’t you? Or do you want him to pay for you?”

Kaito’s eyes went wide as two thugs surrounded Ren like sharks, Morgana leaped to his perch with his ears down. Arsene bubbled to the forefront of his mind, growling low like a roll of thunder, but Ren held him back.

“F-fine! I’ll pay your damn fee. Just don’t hurt the poor kid.” 

“Good.” The man smiled, a sickly sweet thing that made Ren tense.

“Don’t pay him.” Ren snapped, drawing eyes back on him.

The knight sauntered away from the front desk and stopped in front of Ren, he smelled of roses and summer wind. The man took delight in being a full head taller than him, he tapped his white sword on the ground between Ren’s feet.

“And what exactly can you do about it? How about you hand over that magic bag of yours then? I’m sure you have plenty of goodies in there. No?” He leaned in closer and tilted his head, “What’s your quirk, kid?”

“I-I don’t have a quirk.”

There was a moment of stunned silence, then the hero burst out with musical laughter, the thugs around him joined in. Kaito went pale and stiff as a board.

“Then nobody will give a damn if you die.” Something dark entered the knight’s expression, and Ren felt a bone-chilling cold as the sword came to his neck, “Isn’t that right, quirkless scum?”

Joker’s eyes sharpened and the air became heavy, the thugs stopped laughing and the hero actually took a step back in shock. Arsene’s power was at his fingertips, but that would draw unwanted attention. 

“Look, I’ll pay!” Kaito fumbled with keys and unlocked something under the desk, “Here, just take it and leave us alone!”

The nearest thug swiped up the small bundle of cash and tossed it to the knight, who caught it without even looking. He banished his sword and slowly thumbed through the bills, before turning to Kaito with a frown.

“Fine, I didn’t want to get blood on my sword anyways,” He shoulder checked Joker on his way to the door, “But I expect you to pay, _with interest_ , next month.”

With that, they left, but not without throwing sneers at them. Morgana, fur still raised, glared at the door as it shut. Kaito looked all but defeated as Joker took a deep breath, then slowly approached the desk.

“Who was that guy?” Ren asked.

“How can you not know who he is?” Kaito took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, “He’s the #21 hero in Japan, Silver Falcon.”

“A hero that treats people like that isn’t much of a hero at all.”

“Yeah, well…” Kaito smiled, but he looked so tired, “He has some of the police in his back pocket, so they won’t do anything even if we call them. Everyone who owns a decent business around here has to pay him a monthly ‘fee’, otherwise he gets lowlifes to ruin their store with constant attacks. Of course, he ‘rescues’ them.”

“And nobody does anything about it?”

“I tried. We all _tried_. But dirty law enforcement and airtight lawyers made sure that it never reached the light of day. He only got worse after that, so a lot of people have given up hope.”

“I saw him when exploring the city,” Ren said with a sharp frown, “Those were the same thugs he arrested after an incident.”

“Hired to put on a show, to make him seem better than he actually is. Probably bailed them out after.” Kaito’s brows pinched together, and he shoved his glasses on his nose, “I paid his damn fee, so I won’t see his ugly face for at least another month. Hopefully.”

Ren and Morgana exchanged significant glances as the silence stretched.

“So, did you want to stay here again?” Kaito asked.

“That was the plan,” Ren said as he dug out his wallet, but stopped when Kaito held up his hand.

“You can stay for free tonight.”

“Are you sure?” Ren furrowed his brows, “After that guy basically robbed you?”

“Think of it as an apology for getting you mixed up in that mess. Plus, anyone who can keep a straight face when there’s a sword at their neck deserves respect.”

“I… thanks.”

Kaito waved them off, “Don’t mention it.”

Ren didn’t know what else to say, so he wandered past the door and into the lounge. Aiba was nowhere to be seen, but her door was closed when they entered the cubicle area. They claimed the same cubicle from last night and locked the door, Ren dumped the item bag by it and slipped off his shoes.

“Ren.”

“Yeah?”

“I think we need to do this.” Morgana had a fire in his eyes as they sat in front of the computer, “You know who our first target is?”

“Oh, _definitely_.”

A dangerous smirk split his face in half, Morgana wouldn’t admit that this look plus the light reflecting off of his leader’s glasses made for a rather terrifying image. They had all of their work cut out for them.

After all, they had a falcon’s wings to clip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nobody messes with our boys and gets away with it. Nobody. How will they deal with him without being able to steal hearts? Well, we'll have to wait and see, but it'll be glorious ;)
> 
> Honestly, it's sort of the pun with the fic title. 
> 
> Doth Thou Even Steal Hearts?
> 
> No, no they don't, but that doesn't mean there aren't other ways....


	10. Phantom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren smirked as an idea came to him. Arsene and the others burst out laughing within his mind space, and that alone made the plan absolutely perfect.
> 
> “We’ll have to wait until later tonight, but-”
> 
> He told Morgana his plan and the cat grinned from ear to ear.

Kyogi Munashisa relaxed back in his office, it wasn’t as lavish as he would like, but he had to keep up appearances. He just did the final tally of the funds he collected the night before, a satisfied smirk bloomed on his face.

Mr. and Mrs. Chen were short after all. He knew of a cut-purse that was looking for a quick dollar, perhaps another play could be staged, with him as the shining knight of course. A few broken china pieces aught to set them straight, but if it didn’t, then he would find other means to shut down their pathetic cafe for good. There was a knock on his door, and he scowled.

“What?”

It opened, and in walked his secretary. A tiny, frail woman with a neat bun and a perfectly tailored suit. He wouldn’t allow messy things to ruin his image, and he reminded his employees of that several times.

“Sir, I came to inform you that one of our proximity alarms went off late last night.”

Kyogi raised an eyebrow, “And? What was it?”

“W-well, the cameras didn’t pick anything up, the only thing of note was a cat in one of the alleyways-”

“A cat.” He bit out, and she flinched, “You’re wasting my time over a cat?”

“That, and the security guards caught some strange flickering with a few of the cameras, and we think-”

“Is anything missing?”

“No, but-”

“Did anything get _damaged_?”

She bit her lip, “No…”

“Then why the hell are you wasting my time over nothing?”

He swiped up the cash and typed the code to his safe, throwing in the money without another glance. His secretary jumped out of his way as he stomped towards the door.

“I’m going for a patrol,” He cast icy eyes on her, “Don’t bother me with something like this again, or you’ll be jobless.”

She bowed her head, “Y-yessir.”

He left the room, slamming the door behind him. The woman just barely held back tears, she dabbed her eyes with the end of her sleeve before returning to her desk. Anger and spite were such distracting things.

If either of them looked hard enough, then they would’ve seen that the safe had been relieved of its goods.

~*~*~*~

Ren yawned as he turned off the stove, the curry bubbled nicely and sent a mouth-watering aroma through the internet cafe. A healthy scoop was poured over a bed of rice, then he grabbed the mug of fresh coffee. He took both items to the front, where Kaito played on his phone. Did the man never go home? Or did he live here, too?

“You really didn’t have to, but I appreciate it.” His eyes lit up as Ren set the meal down in front of him, “Have you worked with food before?”

“I worked at a cafe.” Ren shrugged as the man took a heaping bite, “The Boss there taught me everything he knew.”

“I see. Not that it’s any of my business,” Kaito hummed as he savored the flavors, then peered at Ren thoughtfully, “But where did you go last night? You were almost gone until sunrise and came back with a suitcase.”

“I…” Ren forced his smile to wobble, “I couldn’t sleep after what happened with that ‘hero’, so I went for a walk, plus my cat needed food.”

“A walk.” Kaito sighed, and poked at the curry with a thoughtful frown, “Alright. I’ll believe you, as long as trouble doesn’t follow you through the door. Am I understood?”

Ren nodded and left the man in peace or rather, before he got into any trouble. He helped himself to breakfast and washed the dishes after, but he stared at the curry pot as the clatter of dishes went quiet. There was still enough for another serving. Did Aiba eat yet? With a shrug, he used the rest of it to fill the final plate, along with a hot mug of coffee and ventured forth. He stood outside her cubicle, the frantic _tap tap tap_ of a keyboard came from inside.

He knocked, and it stopped.

“Miss Aiba?” Ren said softly, “I made some more curry and coffee if you want it.”

Silence. Not even a shuffle of cloth or small footsteps, but the spike of anxiety was palpable through her door. Ren’s heart lurched, it was like trying to save Futaba all over again, only this time there was no otherworldly Treasure to steal and fix everything. He swallowed thickly.

“You don’t have to come out if you don’t want to. I’ll just leave it by the door.”

He set the dishes down gently and went to the bathroom. He shut the door with a long sigh, then stared at himself in the mirror.

 _“Sometimes just showing kindness is enough.”_ Arsene’s voice filtered through the unease nesting in his chest, _“But the girl also has to reach out, so don’t fret if she doesn’t grasp for your helping hand.”_

“I know.”

Arsene sent a wave of comfort, then his presence faded. Ren’s clothes were starting to smell, but he pushed the thought away as he showered. Their funds were dangerously low as it is, so sticking with dirty clothes for a few more days wouldn’t hurt anything. He shook his hair dry after he got dressed, but he was surprised to find the dishes were gone when he stepped out of the bathroom.

“What took you so long?” Morgana said as he shut the cubicle door.

“Making breakfast, then took a shower.”

The cat sat on the suitcase stocked full of evidence. Dirty money and the handwritten receipts to go with the exact amount, a list of thugs for hire, fees for bailing out the same criminals over and over. Evidence of the damages done to several establishments were stuffed in there too, along with the names of all of the victims. Now, it was only a matter of what to do with it.

“Anything on the news?”

“Nope.” Morgana looked over to the computer, “I checked several news sights, and there’s no mention of a break-in at Silver Falcon’s Hero Agency.”

Ren chuckled, “A cat surfing the web with tiny paws.”

“Hey!” Morgana shot up and swiped at him, “Be grateful that these tiny paws make sure that you never get in trouble! Although, we are pretty lucky that we got off scot-free.”

“Or lucky that their copy machine had plenty of ink. How idiotic do you have to be to keep all of your evidence in your own office?”

“Maybe he’s just so arrogant he doesn’t think he can get caught. We’ve encountered more than enough narcissistic people to know how they think.” Morgana looked to the case as he sat down, “I’ve been thinking of what to do with it.”

“And?”

“We should give it to the police.”

Ren narrowed his eyes, “Really? And you think they won’t question where we got it?”

“Ren.” Morgana deadpanned, “We could just drop it off anonymously at the door, not literally hand it right to them.”

“Or…”

His partner tilted his head, “Or?”

Ren smirked as an idea came to him. Arsene and the others burst out laughing within his mind space, and that alone made the plan absolutely perfect.

“We’ll have to wait until later tonight, but-”

He told Morgana his plan and the cat grinned from ear to ear.

~*~*~*~

The aromas of stale coffee and old cigarette smoke were ingrained in the walls of the police station, the clacking sound of hurried footsteps on linoleum wasn’t as common this time of night, either. Disgruntled criminals came and went to be processed, bodies bruised and throttled out of their wits by heroes.

Overall, Yamiko didn’t hate her job.

Sitting behind the front desk of a police station was boring, but it was easy and safe. The only excitement they got recently was when that vigilante escaped the interrogation room, and her friends wouldn’t shut up about it. An officer nodded at her as he passed.

These officers were boring too. Too normal. Too formal and stiff. They kept their heads down, but one could see their shifty eyes if they looked hard enough. Her nose smelled something rotten, yet she knew better than to stick it in places where she wasn’t wanted. Besides, any violence was bound to mess up her nails. Yamiko set the fresh polish aside and waited for them to dry. It’s been a quiet night so far, peaceful and so dreadfully dull. They expected the rest of the night to follow as such.

Oh, how they were wrong.

The front doors were blown off of their hinges in a sudden burst of heat and light, startled cries escaped their lips as a wall of magnificent blue fire blocked the exit. Hungry flames licked at the walls as a shadow bled into the flames. A clawed hand parted the cerulean fire like a curtain, it grasped the door frame and pulled itself inside.

Yamiko shrieked as a winged demon stepped inside, breaking the seamless linoleum with a single step of its bladed heels. The thing wore old fashioned clothes, its black-tailed corset and white ruffled tie dancing with the light of the ethereal pyre. It towered over everyone else, even without the top hat that nearly touched the ceiling. The slick ebony wings at it’s back danced with a rainbow of color. It took a few more steps, the _clack-clack crunch_ of its steely boots over the glass was like nails clawing down a chalkboard.

“F-freeze!” An officer drew his gun as the sweltering heat spread, “P-put your hands on your head and get o-on your knees!”

The horned demon turned to the officer, pitch-black face aglow with flowing volcanic eyes.

“Eek!”

The gunshot made everyone dive to the floor, but there was a clatter of metal as the bullet fell to the ground, the sound so loud it pierced through the blood roaring in their ears. The demon looked down and brushed away the dust from its crimson coat, unharmed. 

The officer whirled around to his cowering companions, “C-call for backup!!”

“I’m trying!” One said, tapping his phone so hard that the screen cracked, “But our phones are out and the radios aren’t working!”

The demon snorted, before turning its gaze to the front desk. Sweat broke out on Yamiko’s brow and she crawled under the desk. Whimpers bubbled up in her throat, but she held them back by biting her lip and covering her mouth with both hands. Could the demon smell her fear? She clenched her eyes shut and curled into herself. She rocked back and forth as footsteps of steel stopped at the desk, inhuman growls sent icy shivers straight up her spine.

_Ding ding._

Her eyes shot open and she jumped out of her skin.

_Ding ding._

Was that thing ringing the bell? Carefully, she peeled herself from underneath the desk and peeked over the edge. It held a clawed finger over the little silver bell, then tilted its head at her like a curious child. The demon raised its other arm and Yamiko flinched back.

Yamiko wasn’t prepared for death! She just managed to start a new life in the city! What would her parents think, how would her children go on without her-

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt as it held out a sleek suitcase. The demon motioned for her to take it, but fear encased her in ice. A long sigh escaped in the form of fiery breath and it released the suitcase. She jumped as everything on the desk rattled.

Yamiko sobbed in relief as the demon stepped back, took off its top hat, and _bowed_ to her. Shivers ran up her spine when she saw that the suit was hollow, it had no head or body. Just a floating mask of steel and fire for a face. It stood to its full height and put on its hat, running a finger under the rim.

Then, it just vanished in a flash of blue cinders. The only evidence it was ever here was the glimmers of broken glass and a single ginormous footprint, the sweltering heat was gone like the snap flash of winter. There wasn’t even any fire damage.

Sirens howled outside and the slam of car doors echoed in the ear-ringing silence, but it was already too late. 

~*~*~*~

Tsukauchi stared at the massive footprint in disbelief, it was embedded in the floor by several inches, with spider webbing cracks all around it. The flash of several cameras was around him as they took in every iota of evidence. He carefully stepped around glass shards and made his way outside. There was a woman with long dark hair being comforted by paramedics, a shock blanket draped over her shoulders.

“Excuse me,” Tsukauchi said as he dug out his notebook and pen, “Is she well enough to answer a few questions?”

“I am.” Her voice was shaky.

 _True_.

The medics stepped away to give them privacy.

“Can you recount what happened?”

She did, in terrifying detail. It sounded like the same humanoid monster that blew Eraserhead off of the rooftops, the man still kicked himself over letting the vigilante escape. They’ve been scouring the city for the last few days, but it was like he just up and vanished.

“You said the creature-”

“It wasn’t just a _creature_!” She suddenly snapped, eyes wide, “It was a demon! You should’ve seen its eyes, detective! They were like scorching hellfire.”

“I see.” Tsukauchi grimaced, “And did you see what was in that suitcase it left behind?”

“N-no.” She clutched the blanket closer and shivered, “The commissioner snatched it before I could, he took one look inside and went as pale as a ghost. I thought he was going to be sick.”

“Do you know where he went?”

Her eyes flicked to something behind him. Tsukauchi turned to see the commissioner hastily whispering to another police officer. He thanked the woman for her time and walked over to them. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the officer clammed up as he approached.

The commissioner was a rather short and pudgy man, with balding hair and thin glasses hanging off of his bulbous nose.

“Oh, Detective Tsukauchi!” He said with a smile, “What can I do for you? Do you know where that _thing_ ran off to?”

“No, sir.” Tsukauchi noted the sweat on his brow and how he was flustered, “We have some of our best people working on it, but I was hoping to ask you a few questions.”

The commissioner dismissed the officer, who nodded and left them in peace.

“Go ahead.”

“Several witnesses say that the demon left a suitcase before it vanished. Do you know what was inside it?”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that! It’s already been taken care of.”

 _True_.

“Okay, but I need to know what was inside. I’m in charge of tracking this monster and it’s partners down, so I need to know why it broke into a police station and left it there.”

“The contents don’t matter.” _Lie._ “Don’t you worry your little head about it, it was nothing important. Honestly, I think it just dug up utter garbage and delivered it as a prank.”

_Lie._

“You-”

“If you excuse me detective, I have more important work to do.” The man walked past him and extracted his phone, “Like fixing up my police station!”

Something wasn’t right. Joker didn’t seem to be the type to do something like this without a concrete reason, the commissioner blowing him off and then lying to him made his instincts go haywire. What was in that suitcase? Did it have something incriminating?

He jumped as his phone went off, the screen lighting up with a familiar number.

“Anything?”

 _“No.”_ Aizawa growled, _“I covered several blocks while Nezu combed through camera footage, but there’s no sign of him. He’s like a ghost.”_

“... Or a phantom.”

_“What?”_

“Nevermind.” Tsukauchi shook his head, “Why would he risk coming back here after he escaped? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

 _“Especially after that officer took a shot at him,”_ Irritation oozed from the phone, _“What happened to him, anyway?”_

“He got demoted and stuck on a desk job for two months,” Tsukauchi scrubbed at his eyes, “I pushed for him to be fired for shooting at a teenager, but the board thought that was too far. I guess firing at a vigilante, even if he’s just a kid, was a good enough reason for him to keep his job.”

_“Figures.”_

“Anyways, something interesting has come up. The commissioner was lying about what was in the suitcase, and I don’t think he’ll disclose it to us.”

 _“That’s…”_ Aizawa sighed, _“That’s definitely fishy. What do you think of it?”_

“Honestly? I’m not sure. Was it evidence to a crime? Blackmail?” His head pounded with a growing migraine, “I think the kid is trying to tell us something. I just hope he doesn’t do anything drastic before we can figure it out.”

_“But with the evidence conveniently vanishing…”_

“We won’t know for sure. I’ll update you and Nezu in case anything else happens.”

_“Likewise. Be careful detective.”_

Tsukauchi hung up and scrubbed at his eyes. He glanced back at the glass carnage and suddenly wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up in bed. Alas, the paperwork for this incident would probably take all night. He looked up to the heavens, where a single bird circled above without a care in the world.

Why do vigilantes always have to be so difficult?

~*~*~*~

“I hope they catch him soon,” A young woman murmured.

“Vigilantes,” Another man scoffed, “I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.”

“But why would he attack the police, momma?” A little girl pulled at her mother’s sleeve, “I thought he saved people at the USJ? Are the heroes gonna hurt him?”

“Hush, dear.” The mother patted her daughter’s head, “We don’t know what crazy schemes are going through his head. Attacking innocent people like that…”

Word of the attack on the police station spread around like wildfire. Ren stared up at the pictures flashing across the news station, then pushed up his glasses and turned away. Morgana hummed as he stared at the crowd amassing beneath the giant screens.

“Kaito was right,” He whispered, “There were dirty police in that station. They must’ve gotten it in time.”

“Then we go through with Plan B, as expected.” Ren said as they went down the street, “Yatagarasu overheard Tsukauchi say that the commissioner was lying. He suspects something, so the next step is delivering the real evidence to him. We just need to get in contact with the detective somehow.”

“That’s awfully risky.” Morgana looked up to their eye in the sky, “He did say that he was the head of the team trying to track us down, right?”

“Yeah, but that’s exactly why we should try to find him.”

“Even when they took a shot at you?”

“Tsukauchi wasn’t the one holding the gun.”

“Just because he didn’t fire the gun doesn’t mean he’s any less guilty.” Morgana scrutinized him for several seconds, then sighed, “Ren, why do you believe in him so much? He could be just as crooked as any of these other cops.”

Ren passed another street, the air turning fresh and salty before he answered.

“I think I would’ve formed a Confidant with him back in the interrogation room.”

Morgana stiffened, “Did you hear Lavenza’s voice?”

“No.”

Oh boy, was _that_ one long talk. After the truth of Igor and Lavenza came out, and his friends were freed from their cells, he told them everything. The Velvet Room, the Confidants, Lavenza’s voice, even the little butterfly that had visited him after he got captured.

“I felt the same connection with Eraserhead too,” Ren frowned and shook his head, “I don’t really know what to make of it.”

“Maybe you did feel that way,” Morgana said with narrowed eyes, “But I don’t trust them at all.”

“We don’t have to. They get one chance.”

Morgana grimaced but didn’t say anything more. Ren climbed down the stairs and onto the sand, then they followed the seawall to a gnarled piece of driftwood. He tossed the wood aside, then felt around the stones and pulled a loose one out. Resting inside the hollow was an old bag.

“At least the real evidence is still in one piece.” Morgana said, “Now we just have to expose them.” 

“Which, we’ll do tomorrow. Let them think they’ve won, for now.”

Ren threw the bag over his shoulder and turned to watch the fiery waves. His eyes caught movement, and they glanced over to see Midoriya standing in the sand, admiring the blazing colors painted into the ocean. Ren and Morgana ducked their heads down and fled before he saw them. 

Eventually, the exhausted pair trudged their way to the Raven’s Nest long after the sun sank into the horizon. Ren felt a pit in his stomach. They only had 1800 yen left, so this could be the last time they had a roof over their heads for a while.

Kaito, ever glued to the front desk, glanced at them in surprise.

“Long day?”

“I guess you could say that.” Ren muttered, “The usual twelve hour package, please.”

“Alright,” Kaito crossed his arms, “Go ahead and get some sleep.”

Ren blinked, “But I haven’t paid?”

“You get another night for free, kid. Congratulations.”

Morgana narrowed his eyes as Ren blinked several times.

“Why? We didn’t get hassled by a villain this time.”

Kaito peered at them for several seconds. Ren wondered if this was the same feeling others got when he glared at them with his full power, that shiver up the spine or the way his heart pounded was terrifying. Finally, Kaito ran a hand through his silvery hair.

“Because you’re trying.” He put his hands on his hips and sighed, Morgana went rigid on Ren’s shoulder, “I don’t know how far you’ll get, but that’s more than the police ever did.”

His shock alerted his personas, who whispered a variety of threats and painful deaths should the man make any sudden moves. Joker forced himself to stay calm.

“How did you know?”

Morgana looked ready to either attack or bail, so Joker put a soothing hand on his head.

“It’s my quirk.” Kaito pointed to his eyes, “I see visions about peoples’ past and no, I can’t turn it off even if I wanted to.”

Morgana’s tail flicked, his claws stabbed into his shoulder.

“You two are an enigma to me. I don’t know where you come from or who you actually are,” He smiled gently, “But that’s not my business. I’ve sheltered people with a variety of backgrounds before, and you guys aren’t any different. Magical enigma or no.”

“You aren’t going to turn us in?”

“I would’ve done it the first night, but I see that you’re still here.” The man shook his head, “As I said before, you’re welcome to stay as long as you keep the trouble away from my door. Your secret is safe with me.”

Ren released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Morgana looked in between them, tail still flicking wildly.

“Okay, there has to be a catch.”

Kaito blinked at Morgana in shock, “I was wondering if you’d ever actually talk to me.”

Morgana hopped off Ren’s shoulder and onto the front desk. He peered into Kaito’s eyes as the atmosphere was charged with magic, Morgana’s fur began to glow with a vibrant green as the air shifted. An emerald breeze blew right into Kaito’s face, blowing his hair back.

“What’s your angle, then? If you know us like you say you do, then you also know what we’re capable of.”

“Morgana!” Ren hissed.

“Our leader is surprisingly merciful when it comes to things like this, but if you ever-”

Morgana was cut off as Kaito lifted a hand to pet him, the winds and magical static died just as the light around Morgana’s fur. The cat actually _purred_ as Kaito ran his hand through his soft fur.

“I know that people haven’t been kind to you,” Kaito said softly, a strange gleam appeared in his eyes, “But you have my word that you can rest easy here. As long as you don’t bring trouble, that is.”

Kaito withdrew his hand, but Morgana was frozen in place. Nobody moved for several seconds as the gears ground away in Morgana’s head. Then, the cat snorted, taking a seat to lick his front paw as if he didn’t just threaten the man’s life.

“Alright, I’ll hold you to that.” Morgana said as he set his foot down, “I don’t easily forgive people who hurt my friends, so don’t say that I never warned you.”

“Of course,” Kaito motioned to the door, “Now go get some sleep, you look like you need it.”

Morgana jumped off the counter and pranced happily towards the door. Ren shifted his weight and looked Kaito in the eye.

“Anyone who can stare an angry Morgana in the face has my respect.”

“Well,” The man blinked as slow as a cat, his lips twinged in a half-smile, “Now we have mutual respect for one another.”

Ren bowed his head and followed after Morgana, who pranced through the lounge with his head held high.

 _“The Magician is frightening when he wants to be.”_ Arsene said, _“I don’t doubt the power in his tiny paws.”_

 _“You’d be a fool to mess with those who are masters of spellcraft,”_ A brush of Titania’s silky dress passed through Ren’s mind, _“You might just get burned. Or frozen. Perhaps even cursed. You know all about curses, don’t you Arsene?”_

Arsene grumbled but didn’t reply.

Ren rolled his eyes as they walked across the lounge, he was almost dead on his feet. Aiba’s door, as usual, was closed as they went into their own cubicle.

“Man, I’m beat! Ready to call it a night, Ren?” Morgana looked over when he didn’t answer, “Ren? What’s wrong?”

He pointed towards the computer monitor, where a note was taped to the bright white screen.

_I know who you are and what you did._

_Meet me on the rooftop in ten minutes or suffer the consequences._


	11. King, Queen, and Slave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A King meets a Queen, and a Slave is put in his place.

Manami clutched her laptop to her chest, her heart pounded as a breeze swept over the barren rooftop.

She paced back and forth. Was he coming? Her note wasn’t too threatening, was it? It wouldn’t frighten the boy away, right? Her thoughts swirled like a dizzying whirlpool. She didn’t hear the soft voices floating from the alley or the creaks of a nearby fire escape.

“It’s been almost ten minutes…” She whispered to herself.

“Nice night, isn’t it?”

Manami cried out and whirled around. The boy stood at the edge of the building, his black tailcoat danced in the wind, but the sharp eyes behind that mask stabbed right through her heart. He wasn’t happy, by the way he peered through her, but she couldn’t blame him. She composed herself and cleared her throat.

“It is.” She said, “I take it you got my note?”

Manami could slap herself from her own stupidity. What else would he be here for!?

“Yeah, I did. It was kind of hard to miss, after all.” He took a few steps closer, splashing the roof with beautiful reds and violets, “You better explain what you want, before we do something that we’ll both regret.”

“W-well, I…” Manami looked down at the laptop, “I-I wanted you to help me! I heard about the USJ and I just knew that you were the vigilante the moment I first saw you. I… I posted the video, with your demon scaring off that hero?”

The boy frowned and narrowed his eyes, she was already on thin ice, and she could practically feel the cracks spreading.

“I tried to find out more about you, but there wasn’t anything on record! Not one thing! Then I decided to follow y-you using the cameras because I’m a skilled hacker. I compiled everything to my laptop a-and when I finally had enough, I was going to blackmail you into helping me, but…”

The vigilante put a hand on his hip and leaned on one leg, “But?”

“B-but you were so nice to me, and even gave me a home cooked meal. Nobody’s ever been that nice to me before.” She felt the shameful burn of tears in her eyes and stared at the ground, “And I saw what you were trying to do with Silver Falcon. Just… here, it’ll be easier to show you.”

She opened up her laptop and held it out to him. He glanced between her and the laptop, before slowly taking it.

“And I have backups and several other servers,” She said as she jutted out her chin, “So the evidence will be there even if you destroy my laptop.”

He actually _snorted_ , a wry smile was on his lips before he could smooth out his expression. There was a hint of something else in his eyes, almost like sorrow? It was gone just as fast as it came, so maybe it was just her imagination. She carefully stepped around him and peeked at the screen, he was watching the video she captured from the corner of an apartment building. The looming demon still gave her the chills, and she had been in awe when it’s powerful wing beat blew Eraserhead away. There were also a few snippets of him summoning that raven while he was in costume.

He flicked through several files and videos, before looking down at her. His eyes were still like daggers, but they didn’t hold the same intensity as before.

“What all did you do?”

“I made the cameras in Silver Falcon’s Agency replay the same fifteen second loop, otherwise you would’ve been found out for sure. Then when you sent that demon-”

“Arsene.”

She blinked at him, “What?”

“His name is Arsene. He doesn’t like being called a demon.”

Manami bit her lip, and nodded, “T-then I did the same thing when Arsene went to that police station to drop off the evidence. I even scrambled the radio and cellphone signals so they couldn’t call for help.”

“I find it hard to believe that you’d do all of this because you wanted to blackmail us.”

“I-I was, but then you remind me so much of the person that I love, he’s so heroic and is always trying to succeed! He’s branded as a villain too, even when he’s so inspiring to other people!”

There were a few moments of silence, before the vigilante closed the laptop with a sigh. He handed it back to her and she hugged it to her chest like a precious treasure.

“What exactly did you want us to do?”

“I…” She looked straight into his eyes, “I want you to help me meet my hero!”

He blinked and raised a brow, “That’s it? And you couldn’t talk to me like a normal person would?”

“Look at me.” Her shoulders sank and she motioned to her clothes, “People have always made fun of me. They always say I have spooky eyes, o-or that I’m a stalker and a creep. My hair is drab and unwieldy. Who would even want to go near me? Plus, he’s branded as a criminal, so I couldn’t just go up to anybody…”

“Look,” The vigilante sighed and stuck his blood-red gloves into his pockets, “I get it. I do, but how exactly did you expect us to help you? For all you know, we could’ve led you on a wild goose chase and then disappeared without a trace.”

“Then there has to be something that you want! How about a favor? Hacking has been my life, surely there is something that I can get for you, in exchange for helping me meet Gentle Criminal?”

“You really should have started off with that.” He gave her an odd look, then nodded, “Alright, there are actually a few things that we’ve been having trouble with. If you’re up for them.”

She nodded eagerly.

“First, I need to create a new identity.”

“I can do that in my sleep! If there’s anything specific you want, then you can write it down and hand it to me later.”

“Noted. The second favor might be a bit more difficult, but I want to meet someone in the black market. We have some hot items that could sell for a good price.”

Manami tapped her chin, “I think I have someone in mind, but it’ll be up to him to set up a meeting. Anything else?”

“What do you know about the USJ?”

She jumped for the second time and looked over her shoulder to a cat. He peered at her with eyes as clear as a crystal blue lake, but they had a fire in them that promised an unseemly demise if she screwed up. The vigilante sighed.

“Mona, you were supposed to wait in the alley.”

“And you were taking too long, Joker.” Mona stalked around her and sat next to his feet, “And I wanted to make sure she didn’t hurt you.”

“I didn’t want to _hurt_ you.” She said as she tucked her laptop under one arm.

“No, only to blackmail us instead.” Mona rolled his eyes, “How can we be sure that you’ll hold up to your end of the deal? Can you prove to us that you can do these favors?”

“I will! What exactly do you want to know about the USJ? I thought you guys invaded the place?”

They blinked, then looked at each other. Their eyes communicated things she wasn’t aware of, then the vigilante nodded.

“We didn’t invade,” He said carefully, “We weren’t there by choice.”

Manami’s eyes widened, “You weren’t?”

“That’s why we want information.” Mona said, “If you’re such a good hacker, then you can give us that information.”

“It’s not that simple,” She looked at the laptop in her arms, “U.A.’s security is airtight. Their servers recently got upgraded because of the USJ attack, so it might take a bit to develop a decent program to get past it. Is that why you want to get into the Sports Festival?”

“Maybe. We just need its location.”

Manami frowned, “Then that information would probably be in the main building, I can try and dig up old blueprints to locate an office or something.”

“Well, we have our work cut out for us, then.” Mona said, “But you’ll have to wait for our help until after the Sports Festival. That, and we’ll be busy trying to take down Silver Falcon in the meantime.”

“Easier said than done,” Joker said, “We still have a bit to go, though.”

“You can send an even deeper message, you know.”

Mona and Joker exchanged glances, then looked at her.

“What do you mean?” Mona asked.

Manami sat down and opened her laptop, “I’ve been keeping track of that suitcase you dropped off, it’s still in the commissioner’s possession.”

“They didn’t burn it?” Joker’s eyes were wide, “Or at least hide it away somewhere?”

“Silver Falcon and his cohorts have the collective IQ of a rusted teaspoon,” She said as she typed away, “It’ll probably be in the commissioner’s possession for a bit longer before he does something with it.”

“So if we steal it back and leave a calling card,” Joker said with a smirk, “They’ll know they didn't win _that_ easily.”

“And we have a limited window to steal it back,” Mona said with a nod, “Nothing that we can’t handle.”

She looked over the screen at the grinning cat, “And what do you plan to do with all the evidence?”

“Could you look up a certain detective with that fancy laptop of yours?” Joker asked.

“Joker…” Mona looked up at him with soft eyes, “I know you want to give the detective a chance, but do you really think that would be enough?”

“It won’t be.” Manami said for a fact, “Silver Falcon is a top-rated hero, so even if this detective came forth with the evidence, then they might not act right away.”

Joker suddenly stiffened, then he grinned. Shivers ran down her spine at the intensity of it.

“The next stage of the plan was to ruin his image anyways, and if you’re really as good of a hacker as you say you are…”

Mona looked at him in shock, “You don’t mean….”

“I have a contact within the media,” Joker said with a smirk, “We can get him to run the story.”

“I can make a video of everything and it send to him.” Manami said, her heart beat fast in her chest and she couldn’t help her own small smile, “Then I can hack into the station and broadcast it all over town!”

Mona and Joker exchanged another glance, then they looked at her with equal grins.

“Then I guess we’ll be working together for a bit,” Joker stepped in front of her, ripples of color splashing, and held out his hand, “Partners in crime, at least for a little while?”

Manami blinked at the hand, then looked at Mona. The cat still sharply scrutinized her, the tip of his tail twitched, one wrong move might send her to an early grave. She hesitantly reached up and shook his gloved hand, which was surprisingly warm and gentle. A genuine smile spread on her face for the first time in ages.

“Partners.”

He stood to his full height, “Then let’s get to work.”

~*~*~*~

“M-my men and I have been searching all night!” Commissioner Inu whispered into the phone, “B-but there’s no sign of them!”

 _“Bullshit!”_ Silver Falcon snapped, _“Someone broke into my agency, someone tried to sell me out! Your head will roll if I find out you had anything to do with this.”_

“I-I assure you, sir!” His hands shook as he dug for his keys, “We’re all still loyal, none of my boys would ever think to do such a thing. For now, just continue your hero work and pretend that nothing is amiss. We’ll get this sorted out, I promise!”

Silver Falcon scoffed, _“Don’t tell me how to do my job.”_

“I would never-!”

Inu looked at his phone as the line went dead, then sighed. He trudged up to his apartment and shut the door behind him. He craved a strong drink and then just wanted to sleep, but he had so much work to do. Inu threw the keys into the little bowl on the table before dragging his feet through the living room.

Maybe he could just take a small break?

He practically collapsed into the couch and closed his eyes, the soft, soothing breeze on his face-

His eyes shot open and he looked to the window. The curtains waved in the wind and the sound of birdsong echoed from outside. A pit of dread sank into his stomach as he pulled himself from the couch. Did he leave the window open?

No, he didn’t.

He always made sure that everything was locked up tight before he left. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he raced towards his bedroom. Surely the alarms would have notified him of a break-in? His bedroom was spotless, not one thing was out of place, but something felt _wrong_. His opened his wardrobe and threw his clothes onto the floor, then ripped out the false backing.

His stomach dropped to his feet, he slowly backpedaled and collapsed on the edge of his bed.

The suitcase was gone, in its place was a black and red card.

_~Meanwhile~_

It was a slow day for Taneo.

U.A. had practically clammed shut over any news of the USJ or of the mysterious vigilante, and those topics were the only thing people had been talking about. He leaned back in his chair, bored out of his mind. The gods must have heard his plea for action because his phone went off. He raised a brow at the unknown number but answered it anyway.

“Hello?”

_“Hello, Taneo.”_

Taneo jumped as goosebumps broke out on his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up. He recognized the voice of that kid, but it wasn’t the same shaky and nervous tone. His voice held confidence. Power. _Absolute authority._

“Kid? Why are you calling me?”

 _“You asked me to call you in case anything interesting happens, and it just so happens that I found the cure for your boredom.”_ His laptop pinged with a new message, _“My associate just sent you an email, one that you may find intriguing.”_

Taneo held the phone between his ear and shoulder, then clicked on the message. A video popped up, the screen turning a vibrant red with a logo he’s never seen before. An odd mask with a top hat, with one of the eyes bursting into flames. His jaw dropped at the contents, his instincts screaming that it would cause an uproar and devastate Silver Falcon’s reputation.

“You… how did you get all of this?”

_“Does that really matter? Can you get this to play on today’s news?”_

“And how do you know I won’t just call the police?”

There was a chuckle, and Taneo could _feel_ his smirk, _“There was a virus attached to that email. If you call the police, then it’ll release all of your personal information to people that you’ve exposed over the years. I’m sure they would be delighted to know you live at-”_

“I get it!” His palms shook and his heart thrummed, but Taneo bore a shaky smile, “I mostly work for a news magazine, but I do have contacts in the JSN news station. I could call in some favors.”

_“Good, get them to play it at noon.”_

“Today?”

_“Today.”_

“And the virus?”

_“If everything goes as planned, and the truth of Silver Falcon is out of the bag, then the virus will delete itself. We can amicably part ways after if you wish. Or…”_

“Or what?”

 _“I can call you again whenever I get…. interesting information._ _Do we have a deal?”_

Taneo absolutely _beamed_. He knew his instincts were right about this kid, but he never imagined anything like _this_. If he could get this boy as his personal source…

“We have ourselves a deal.”

_“Good. I’ll call you again if we find anything else.”_

“Wait, kid!” Taneo’s heart rate was through the roof, “Who exactly are you?”

There was a chuckle before the line went dead. He tore the phone away from his ear and pressed redial. It rang only once.

_“We’re sorry, the number you have dialed has been disconnected-”_

The cell phone fell from his grip and clattered on his desk, the robotic voice still trilled through the air. He took off his glasses and scrubbed at his face, but underneath he was grinning like a madman.

~*~*~*~

Tsukauchi jolted awake, he cursed underneath his breath when his knee slammed into the side of his kitchen table. He pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off his growing headache, then blearily looked at the time.

He stood from the table and hastily gathered up the scattered paperwork, he was going to be _so_ late! It was almost noon already. When had he fallen asleep?

…When was the last time he actually got a full night’s sleep?

He cast the thought out of his mind as he dumped the paperwork into a folder and raced towards the door. The keys fumbled from his hands as he almost tripped over something in front of his door, but caught the frame just in time. He blinked several times at the sleek suitcase sitting on his doorstep. Realization shot through him like a lightning bolt.

He looked up and down the walkway, but it was deserted.

A small envelope was attached to the handle. He opened it up and a black and red card spilled out, a logo of a flaming mask and top hat stared back at him. He flipped it over to see a message cut out from magazine letters.

_The show starts at noon._

Tsukauchi looked at his watch as another curse flung from his lips. The suitcase and keys were snatched up and he fled back into his apartment. His shaky hands nearly dropped the remote as he turned on the TV. What sort of ‘show’ was Joker planning? Immediately the JSN News channel popped up, the anchor wore a solemn frown, a picture of the same strange logo appeared beside her.

With quick fingers, Tsukauchi dialed on his cellphone.

~*~*~*~

It was a calm day.

He was finally able to swat away the vultures at his front gate so that his students could resume classes in peace, so he rewarded himself by brewing his favorite beverage. Nezu gently swirled the teacup in his paws, his nose filled with the pleasant aroma of freshly steeped leaves. Then, his phone began to vibrate. He hummed a merry tune as he set the cup down and answered it.

“Tsukauchi! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

 _“Please tell me you’re watching the news.”_

“No, has something interesting happened?”

_“...You’d better see it for yourself.”_

Suddenly, his door burst open, Aizawa, Yagi, and a few other teachers had ghostly pale faces. Nezu frowned as he reached into his desk for the TV remote, and flicked it on to a news channel. His frown, however, turned into a grin, which then turned into a maddening cackle.

The teachers shivered at the insane gleam in his eyes.

~*~*~*~

“Why do you think Aizawa-sensei ran from the room like that?” Sato asked.

“I dunno, kero.” Tsuyu poked her cheek and tilted her head to the side, “He took one look at his phone and practically bolted. That’s so unlike him.”

Ashido gasped and whirled around in her chair, “You don’t think it was a message from a secret lover, do you!?”

“Do not suggest such a thing, Ashido!” Iida chopped his arms and radiated stern energy, “Something like that should not concern us, and I would rather not poke into Sensei’s private affairs.”

“Besides, I don’t think it’s that,” Midoriya said.

“Then what else could it be?” Ashido asked as she bounced in her seat.

“Would you extras just shut up already!? Who cares why the hobo abandoned our class!?”

“There must be darkness on the horizon.” Tokoyami said with a nod, “Otherwise he would not have looked as if he had seen a phantom.”

“You guys are boring!” Ashido whined, then she grinned at her neighbor, “What do you think happened, Kaminari!?”

Attention swiveled to their classmate when he didn’t answer. His eyes were glued to his phone, wide in shock and horror.

“...Kaminari?”

He jolted out of his reverie with a grimace.

“I think you guys should check the news.”

“Huh? Why?”

Despite Ashido’s question, many of them dug out their phones. Dreaded silence filled the room as their screens shown a strange logo, crimes of a certain hero were spilled to the world without mercy.

“I…” Midoriya swallowed thickly as his hands shook, “I just watched one of his hero fights recently…”

Nobody answered, too stunned to gather any coherent thoughts. Several minutes passed until Uraraka finally broke it, her eyes wide and filled with tears.

“A hero wouldn’t do that, right? I-It has to be a lie?”

In the back, a pair of heterochromatic eyes narrowed. His fists shook with anger as his mouth was cut in a sharp frown. He understood all too well what type of ‘hero’ Silver Falcon was. All of his misgivings about Joker, and his involvement in the USJ, were wiped clean.

He seared that logo into his memory as he silently declared Joker his hero.

~*~*~*~

In a dark secluded room, where medical equipment hummed and beeped, a faceless man grinned at the screen.

~*~*~*~

This was how it was always supposed to be.

Silver Falcon walked down the sidewalk like a show rooster. He owned these streets, as well as the hearts of the women surrounding him. Innocent giggles and flirtatious suggestions were always whispered in his ears ever since he became a hero, it was his right to rule these city blocks. He signed yet another autograph and waved towards a pair of girls, twins by the looks of it. He was about to take a picture with them when his work phone vibrated.

“Excuse me, ladies,” They swooned as he stepped away, “Duty calls.”

He narrowed his eyes. Why would Inu be calling? He knows better than to call during a patrol, but people were watching. He donned a confident, suave expression, his voice as smooth as silk.

“Silver Falcon here.”

There was harsh panting on the other line, _“Wh-where are you right now?”_

“I’m on a patrol.” He waved back to the group of ladies, who whispered to each other and giggled, “What’s up?”

_“G-get off the streets! Now!”_

“Why? I have everything covered-”

_“Run! I-it won’t be long now! I-I’m sorry! I can’t deal with this!!”_

The phone line went dead. Silver Falcon pulled it away from his ear with a frown, then shoved it in his pocket.

“Sorry, ladies. They must’ve had the wrong number,” He said as he approached them, “Now, where were we-”

“What’s going on?”

“Did something happen?”

One of the twins looked up as other voices of concern sprinkled through the street. Silver Falcon, like everyone else, glanced up as every screen turned blood red with a weird logo in the middle. The image pulled back, revealing a news anchor in a red suit. Her hair was tied up in a neat bun and she had a stern expression.

 _“This just in,”_ She said, her voice echoed, _“We have received a video from a reputable source, and were urged to air it at this specific time. I warn you that there might be graphic images, so viewer discretion is advised for children.”_

The screen flickered back to the logo as distorted voices warbled through the air.

 _“Greetings everyone, my name is Joker.”_ His voice was smooth and charismatic, _“You might recognize my name as the vigilante that appeared during the USJ attack.”_

Murmurs broke out through the district like wildfire.

 _“We come to give you an important message. There’s a hero in this city that shouldn’t have the title of one who should protect,”_ Joker said, _“And I think you all deserve to know just what he’s done.”_

 _“Before we do, there’s one thing to note,”_ The boyish voice gave way to images of the attack on the police station, _“We already tried to give this evidence to the authorities, but it was hidden away and masqueraded as a violent attack on the police. We would like the share the faces of those who were in on it.”_

Silver Falcon’s heart lurched as _every_ one of his officers popped up on screen, with the commissioner’s face being at the top. No, it wasn’t possible! Inu said he had dealt with the evidence! He took a frightful step backward as the people around him whispered.

 _“If you don’t believe that, then perhaps this will make you change your tune.”_ Joker said, an invisible smirk oozing through the screens, _“We’ll show you the mastermind behind this scandal.”_

It was like the world was ripped from underneath him. Videos, photos, notes, and all other manner of things were shown on the screen, ripping the curtain back on _his_ crimes. His iconic armor was shown to the world, but his face was contorted by greed and malice as he demanded money from several establishments, _his_ voice rained down on the streets as his threats were known to all. The final nail in the coffin was a certain conversation he had recently.

_“I-I don’t have a quirk.”_

Hostile laughter bounced in everyone’s ears.

 _“Then nobody will give a damn if you die.”_ His own voice haunted the air like an invisible plague, _“Isn’t that right, quirkless scum?”_

The screen returned to it’s bloody red hue, the mask and hat icon slowly swiveling.

 _“Well, that’s not a hero I would look up to.”_ Joker said, _“What do you think, everyone? Does this man deserve the title of ‘hero’? We’ll leave you to decide.”_

With that, the screen turned black and the static faded. The cameras went back to the news anchor, who’s jaw was dropped in shock.

 _“We got hacked? How? I…”_ She looked past someone on camera, then cleared her throat and straightened her spine, _“I have a son that looked up to him, but I’m sure he’s not the only one to be horrified by this. W-we’ll keep you updated on the case as it progresses.”_

The screens glitched, then returned to whatever advertisements they were playing before. Dead silence drowned the street as several eyes stabbed into him like a knife’s blade.

“I-it’s all lies!” He yelled, the twins flinched back as if he burned them, “It’s not true! It’s… I…”

“How could you!?” One man yelled, then the crowd roared with anger.

“You call yourself a hero!?”

“How many lives did you ruin to satisfy yourself!?”

“You’re a monster, not a hero!”

“How could they let someone like this pass in a hero school?”

“I…” Silver falcon fell to his knees as he was suddenly dizzy, his hands trembled with fear, “They’re all lies, I tell you! Please…”

He looked up, and his heart stopped. Within the yelling crowd was a boy, with steely silver eyes hidden behind thick glasses. A cat was hanging from his shoulder, looking as proud and smug as a lion.

“A cat…” His face twisted with rage as he forced himself to stand, “So it was you!”

Others stepped back as he summoned his beautiful sword and stomped towards the boy, who shrunk in on himself and shook like a leaf. The cat mewled pathetically and cowered in the boy’s hair.

“P-please! Please don’t hurt me, I-I’m quirkless!”

Silver Falcon froze in his steps. That single line drove the crowd insane. A sudden sharp pain bloomed across his face, he reached up to feel precious crimson raining down his forehead. The rock bounced off the pavement as he looked to the little boy, no older than five, who had thrown it.

“Leave him alone!” He said, fists clenched and tears streaked down his cheeks.

“Is that all you do!? Pick on the weak so that they can’t fight back!?” A woman, who he had just signed an autograph for, tore the paper into bits and threw it down in disgust, “I hate people like you!”

The crowd cheered her on as more things were thrown at him. He ducked and weaved with agile grace. Hatred emanated from him as he turned to the boy and his cat, he didn’t care what the crowd said, how could they not see the deceiving gleam in the boy’s eyes!? A ragged battle cry ripped from his throat and screams rang out as he raised his sword to cut the boy down.

“Lacquered Chain Prison!”

His movements were bound by an explosion of wooden roots, his marvelous sword dropped from his grasp as he thrashed like a wild animal. The crowd cheered as Kamui Woods slowly approached, his eyes wide in revulsion.

“Kyogi Munashisa, you are under arrest and your hero license is suspended for attacking civilians.” The hero said, “Many of your cohorts are already in custody, so just come quietly before you lose the last shred of your dignity.” 

Silver Falcon went limp in his prison, he stayed that way until the police cuffed him and dragged him to a waiting car. He stared at the boy and his cat as they were comforted by Kamui Woods, who had a strong hand on the shaking boy’s shoulder. The crowd watched on as the car door slammed shut like the finality of an executioner’s blade.

His life was _over_ , and those victorious silver eyes were forever seared into his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, there was chapter 11.
> 
> What did you guys think of Silver Falcon's demise?


	12. Layer Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Joker,” Giran grabbed the cigarette from his lips, “Where did you get all of this stuff?”
> 
> “Around. A bank, a castle, an art museum…” Joker stepped around the table, his footsteps added a touch of brilliant colors to the drab place, “Maybe even an elite cruise ship? It’s amazing what people will leave…. unattended.”

Aizawa downed his fifth cup and set it on the table with a clatter, but all the coffee in the world wouldn’t have prepared them for this.

“I think we’ll have to cut you off there, Sho.” Kayama playfully elbowed him, “Tsukauchi might get mad if you break his record.”

Aizawa rolled his eyes and leaned back into his chair. Kayama was here, alongside Nezu and Small Might, as they had been called to the police station by Tsukauchi. Nezu had been unnaturally quiet the whole time they were waiting in this dingy room, but there was just that certain gleam in his eyes that revealed how much fun he was having with this.

Finally, the door opened and Tsukauchi walked in, pale as a ghost.

Nezu perked up in his seat, “So, what news do you have?”

“Where to even start?” Tsukauchi pulled out the chair and sank into it with a long sigh.

Kayama took pity on the man and poured him some coffee. He nodded his thanks and took a long sip as he gathered his thoughts.

“Kyogi Munashisa is still in jail. His legal team is in a frenzy, but with this scandal, the Hero Commission is launching an investigation into them. They’ll be stalled for a good while.” Tsukauchi put his cup down and dug out his notepad, “We swept the card and suitcase for fingerprints, but we didn’t get any that already didn’t belong to Inu. The media has blown this out of proportion and compared Joker’s message to the Hero Killer’s ideology, which has already put the Hero Commission on edge.”

“Like destroying a police station wasn’t enough for him?” Toshinori said darkly as he folded his hands on the table, “Now he’s gained notoriety all across Japan because of this. I wonder if he’s basking in all of this attention.”

“We don’t know what his motivation was for attacking the station,” Tsukauchi said, “But it was the same one where he was held. That’s the only connection I could make.”

“I think he was looking for you,” Nezu leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, “That suitcase was intended to reach your hands that night.”

“Me?” Tsukauchi widened his eyes, “Why?”

“Because you listened to him, gave him a chance while he was in custody. If he was mistreated by people who were supposed to protect him, then the evidence was a sort of olive branch? Or was it just one part of a much bigger plan? Perhaps it was a bit of both, since this video was released not a day later.”

“Back up, he was mistreated?” Kayama looked back and forth between Nezu and Tsukauchi, “Mistreated how?”

“He heavily suggested that he was a victim of police brutality, beaten, drugged, the works.” Tsukauchi shook his head, “But he didn’t give us names.”

“How horrible!” Kayama cried, “And he’s just a kid!”

“I think…” Aizawa scowled as a pit fell into his stomach, “It goes even further than that.”

Their eyes glanced over to him, some in worry, some in dread. Toshinori was trying and failing to keep his expression neutral. Nezu’s fur stood on end, but he kept his chipper tone.

“Care to elaborate, Aizawa?”

“It was after he escaped the police station and we gave chase,” He swiveled his chair towards Tsukauchi, “It was just before you came into the alley, I asked him to surrender, said that we wouldn’t hurt him.”

“What did he do?” Tsukauchi asked slowly.

“He said,” Aizawa braced himself, looking more grave than ever, “And I quote, ‘I won’t be going anywhere with you, especially when the result always ends up in either a cold cell or attempted murder.’ A haunted look was in his eyes, so I know he wasn’t lying.”

Kayama cursed under her breath. 

Toshinori swallowed thickly, “No wonder he doesn’t trust us.”

“Do you think somebody tried to murder him when he was in police custody before?” Tsukauchi asked.

“It’s quite possible that he’s only alive due to luck.” Nezu was no longer smiling, “And that comment of a cold cell. I know it all too well.”

Aizawa and Tsukauchi exchanged glances as the mouse stared into his clenched paws. Toshinori was lost to his own thoughts as Kayama stared at Nezu with a softness to her eyes.

“Nezu…”

“I feel like I understand this boy more than anyone else,” Nezu leaned forward and looked them all in the eye, “I know what it’s like to be nothing more than a plaything by beings that consider themselves to be gods. There is nothing more humiliating than having no control over your own fate.”

“But how does that connect to the police brutality?” Kayama asked.

“What if this wasn’t his first escape?” Nezu countered, “If he was caught a second time, perhaps he knew too much or it would be too troublesome to return him to his keepers. A skilled agent could’ve slipped in to do the deed.” 

“Alright, so that failed, but how did that end up with him landing at the USJ?” Aizawa asked.

“These are questions that only Joker will be able to answer,” Tsukauchi put his hand up, “It’s no use asking them as of now. As for his recapture, that’s why I wanted Midnight here.”

“You want me to join the team?”

“I want you and Eraserhead to be the first ones on call in case there’s a sighting. We need to get him in custody quickly and quietly, so both of your skills and quirks would be perfect for that.” Tsukauchi nodded, “The Hero Commission is in an uproar over this little stunt, and the Chief and I can only hold them off so long before they demand drastic action.”

“Their best bet would be Endeavor,” Kayama said with a frown, “At this rate, I wouldn’t put it past them to set him on the kid.”

Nezu suddenly burst out with laughter, sending chills down the arms of everyone else in the room.

“What’s so funny?” Aizawa asked with a raised brow.

“Nothing!” The mouse had a feral grin, “I have a feeling that, even if they send in Endeavor, Joker will give him a good run around and then laugh in his face afterward.”

“You’re talking about the number two hero,” Toshinori had to stop his jaw from dropping, “And you think this child would treat it as a joke?”

“And you’re the number one hero, Toshinori. Joker took one of your super-powered punches and walked away without so much as a bruise. What do you think a little bit of fire would do?”

Toshinori held up a finger and opened his mouth, but after a few seconds of silence, he sighed with slumped over shoulders. Tsukauchi felt bad for him.

“In any case…” The detective cleared his throat and stood from his chair, “I just wanted to update you all and invite Midnight to the team. Now, if you excuse me, I still have plenty of work to do thanks to Joker, like trying to figure out who that second voice belonged to.”

Toshinori stood, “I should go as well, this case has given me many things to think about.”

“Wait, gentlemen.” They stopped and stared at Nezu as he crossed his legs and tilted his head, “Is it really not obvious who that second voice on the video belongs to?”

The four of them blinked, then exchanged confused glances.

“If you have any theories, I would love to hear them.” Tsukauchi said as he had his pen at the ready, “Who do you think it is?”

Nezu grinned, “Why, it is quite simple!”

“Just get on with it,” Aizawa groaned, “We don’t have time for your antics, Nezu.”

“My my, such impatience Aizawa.” His chair creaked as he turned towards Tsukauchi, still grinning, “The most obvious suspect to that second voice is…. the cat!”

“The cat?” Tsukauchi gaped at him, “Why in the world would you suspect Joker’s cat?”

“How could you not? This cat, Mona I believe, showed intelligence beyond what would be considered normal and he most likely has a quirk as well. Mona knew how to break out of the interrogation room, locate their confiscated goods, and then pulled off a plan to set his partner free.”

“I mean, that proves the cat is smart, but to be able to talk?” Kayama said with a frown.

“What am I then? A mouse? A bear? A dog?” Nezu stared at her with an inscrutable glimmer in his eyes, “It is not impossible for there to be more like me.”

”Great, and here I thought one talking animal was bad enough.” Aizawa said as he scrubbed his eyes.

“But…” Tsukauchi furrowed his brows, “I could tell that Joker had a strong bond with this cat, he was actually concerned for his well being during the interrogation.”

“Indeed. It is quite uncommon for animals like myself to manifest a quirk, so if they were experimented on together…..” Nezu’s smile fell and he shook his head, “Then it would make sense that they have such strong ties. I am also starting to suspect that this Sae Niijima person is a fake as well.”

“Joker was telling the truth when he talked about her, though.” Tsukauchi said.

“Perhaps, if he believed it to be the truth, then your quirk would deem it as such.” Nezu stared between all of them, “However, I think that his keepers used this person, under a false name, to try and gain his trust. It was not an uncommon tactic to get experimental subjects to cooperate. Torture was always a close second, though.”

Kayama sighed, “This poor kid.” 

“No child deserves such hardships,” A shadow fell over Toshinori’s face, “Especially at the hands of people who are supposed to protect, not harm.”

“We’ll find them, both of them.” Tsukauchi smiled sadly, “And make sure they get the help they need. I want to be there when we recapture him though, we need to let him know that he can trust us.”

“We need to actually find him, first. There’s hasn’t been a single shred of evidence to where he’s hiding out.” Aizawa droned as a headache pounded on his temples, “He’s like a phantom.”

“A phantom…” They flinched back at Nezu’s manic grin, “Or a Phantom Thief? The boy dropped that hint on purpose. Perhaps that’s what the code name of the experiment was?”

“In any case,” Tsukauchi finished writing and flipped his notebook closed, “I’ll bring this up with the chief and see what he says. Hopefully, we can hold the Hero Commission off from sending in Endeavour.”

“And we’ll do everything in our power to locate them,” Nezu said, “Don’t you worry.”

The detective smiled, then walked out alongside a suspiciously silent Toshinori.

“I’ll up my patrols and keep in contact with everyone,” Kayama said, “I don’t want this poor kiddo to go through any more trauma.”

“I’ll do the same,” Aizawa leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, “But we should be together when we find him. It’s too dangerous to be alone.”

Kayama nodded, “Right.”

Nezu simply folded his paws together and grinned. After all, he _couldn’t wait_ to see what Joker did next.

~*~*~*~

_“He comes, Trickster.”_

Joker noted Yatagarasu’s quick shadow pass over the windows. Dust and stale air permeated the abandoned warehouse, rusted crates and boxes were piled high, it was a perfect place for shady meetings like this. Mona didn’t like the look of it, so he and Yatagarasu were patrolling outside. The door creaked open and a man sauntered in as if he owned the place.

Joker kept his guard up as the man’s piercing eyes scanned him from head to toe. He wore amethyst colored dress pants and a matching blazer, some of his gray hair was swept to the side of his face. The smoke of the lit cigarette in his lips mixed with the stale air, Joker kept his face neutral even as the stench burned his nose.

“So, you must be Giran.”

"I am." Giran blinked, then smirked, “Unfortunately, our mutual contact wouldn’t give me the pleasure of knowing your name.”

“It’s Joker.”

Giran’s eyes widened, “Ah, you’ve caused quite the riot in the underground, kid. Invading the USJ, breaking out of a bustling police station, destroying said police station. A few are praising you since you’re responsible for Silver Falcon’s untimely demise. There have even been whispers that you’ll be the next Stain.”

Joker kept up his mask of confidence. He’s seen what Stain’s been doing, he had a message of ‘true heroism’ disguised in a bloodbath, and the mass following of a ruthless serial killer sent shivers down his spine. How could people cheer on somebody like that? The media comparing him to Stain made him want to vomit. Maybe he could work something out with Taneo to fix it, but that was a problem for his future self.

“Well, as much as I would love to talk about myself,” Joker couldn’t help his knowing smirk, “We’re not here to chitchat.”

“Straight to business then?” Giran took a long drag of his cigarette, then breathed out the acrid smoke with a wide grin, “I like that in a client. So, what have you got for me?”

Joker waved him over to a table laden with goods. The final few treasures and gems they collected in the last trek through Mementos, a few of Takemi's lower end medicinal items, alongside a small pile of Life Stones. The trump card of the whole pile was the few Beads sitting innocently at the end of the table.

Giran took his time examining the items in silence. His face shifted several times as he went down the line, going so far as to pull out some tools to authenticate the quality of the treasures. Joker watched him with careful consideration, but the man stopped in front of the Beads.

“What are these?”

“I call them Beads, you just break one and it heals you. Those Life Stones do the same, but they only heal a small fraction in comparison.”

Giran gaped at him, “Really?”

“Really.” Joker smirked as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, “You can try one if you want, but I’ll have to charge you extra. They were.... risky to get ahold of if you know what I mean.”

Giran stroked his goatee thoughtfully, then turned to him, “How about I try one, and I’ll pay double for them if you’re telling the truth.”

Joker waived a hand, “It’s a deal.”

Giran took the immaculate little orb and snapped it in between his fingers. A flash of pale light consumed his body as every fiber of his being was charged with energy. Giran stood there, jaw agape. He forced a cough. His lungs were so _clear_ and the overwhelming cravings for tobacco were all but gone. The headache that had pestered him all day miraculously vanished too.

“Joker,” Giran grabbed the cigarette from his lips, “Where did you get all of this stuff?”

“Around. A bank, a castle, an art museum…” Joker stepped around the table, his footsteps added a touch of brilliant colors to the drab place, “Maybe even an elite cruise ship? It’s amazing what people will leave…. _unattended_.”

The man across from him chuckled, which slowly turned into gut-busting laughter. Joker slowly tilted his head to the side as the man tried to calm down, taking deep breaths and wiping tears from his eyes.

“I like you, kid.” He said, grinning, “You have some good stock here, I’ll give you that. How about-”

Giran’s eyes caught an item hanging from Joker’s belt.

“What’s that?”

“It’s not for sale.” Joker said with a frown.

“Can I have a look at it?” The other man hummed with curiosity, “I’m a collector of curiosities, and I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Joker narrowed his eyes but relented.

Raw power filled him the moment he touched the smooth skull. He stopped himself from gasping at the icy cool sensation trailing up and down his body. He felt invincible as if he could punch straight through concrete or run a marathon without breaking a sweat. The details of the crystal skull were so perfect that it couldn’t have been crafted by a human, it’s mesmerizing colors kept shifting in the light and he didn’t recognize the material. Joker cleared his throat and Giran hesitantly handed it back.

“That piece alone would net you a small fortune.”

“Maybe,” Joker shrugged as he reattached it to his belt, “But, as I said, it’s not for sale.”

“I can see why.” Giran nodded to the table of goods in between them, “I’ll give you a hundred and fifty thousand yen for the lot.”

“A hundred and fifty? My last fence would’ve given me a lot more for the same.”

Curiosity peaked on Giran’s face, “Oh? Then why don’t you go to him?”

“He’s out of town right now, but I suppose I could wait for him to get back and take all of these wonderful items with me.” Another smooth grin split Joker’s face, “But I still have to charge you for using a Bead.”

“Heh, I can see you’re driving a hard bargain.” Giran sighed with a shrug, “Right after my own damn heart. Fine then, one sixty.”

“Two hundred.”

“Two hundred?” Giran’s eyes flashed with amusement, “How about one seventy?”

“One ninety.”

“I’ll meet you in the middle and go one eighty, but I can’t do more than that.”

“I suppose that’s good enough.” Joker sighed, then held dug out a piece of paper from his pocket, “Wire the money into these accounts. It doesn’t matter how much goes into what account, just make sure that its the full amount overall.”

Giran blinked curiously at it, then grinned. “Alright, then.”

The man stepped away as he got out his phone and held it up to his ear.

_“How goes it, Trickster? You’ve been in there for a while.”_

_“Better than I ever thought it would.”_ Joker studied Giran, _“Much better. How’s Mona doing?”_

_“See for yourself. We’re above you.”_

He looked up to one of the grimy windows, where their shadows were silhouetted against it. Mona nudged the filthy window open and looked down at him with a tilt of his head. Joker bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

_“Tell him we have enough for some decent sushi tonight. We deserve a reward for the whole Silver Falcon fiasco.”_

Yatagarasu ruffled his feathers, then leaned in close enough to whisper in the cat’s ear. Mona _beamed_ and licked his chops. Suddenly, his phone gave off a few pings, and he dug it out to see that the accounts were filled. Joker smirked as he turned to Giran, who had just hung up his phone.

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

“Pleasure was all mine, kid.” Giran threw down his cigarette and stomped it out, “I hope you’ll call me when you’ve ‘obtained’ more goods.”

“I’ll set up a meeting when I do.” Joker walked towards the door and waved, “See ya.”

Joker left Giran behind and stepped out into the night air. He was glad to be out of that filthy place, but the briny smell from the nearby shipyard didn’t do it justice, either.

_“You want us to come down?”_

_“No, I’ll come up, just wait there.”_

It was child’s play to hop up the nearby crates and onto the rooftop. Mona padded up to him and jumped on his shoulder.

“So? When are we going to get sushi!?”

“Really?” Joker put a hand over his heart in mock injury, “That’s the first thing you ask me when I risk my life and meet strange people to get us money? Mona, I’m so disappointed.”

“You’ll get over it.” Mona swished his tail over the back of Joker’s head, “But let’s not stick around here too much longer.”

“Good idea.”

Yatagarasu took off into the darkening sky, nobody was around to witness the figures dart across over the rooftops as easy as breathing, Mona only spoke when the stars dotted the sky and they were a clear district away from shady businessmen.

“Why did you only sell him a few items?” He asked, “Wouldn’t we have gotten more if you sold him some additional Beads? Those did get the highest price.”

Joker stopped on a flat rooftop of an apartment building. Yatagarasu flew in a wide circle overhead as he sat on the edge of the building with a long sigh, his legs dangled from the sheer drop. The stretch of shimmering city lights and nightly traffic was beautiful if anything.

“It's fine to sell more things like Life Stones and Takemi's items since we have loads of them, but we should be careful with Beads. Plus, its simple supply and demand.” He said as Mona hopped off of his shoulder, “Their value wouldn’t be as high if there were a bunch of them out there, so if I limit the number and get more demand for them…”

“Ohh, I get it!” He swished his tail back and forth, “Then we can buy even more sushi!”

“Sushi, or a Sports Festival ticket.”

“Oh, right.” Mona sat beside him and looked out into the city, the lights highlighting their figures, “How much does one of those cost? Ten thousand? Fifteen?”

“Who knows,” Joker said as he dug out his phone, “They tend to jack up the prices of tickets for these kinds of events the closer it is. The Sports Festival is about a week away now.”

“More of that supply and demand thing, huh?” Mona frowned as Joker grimaced, “So, how much?”

“Sixty thousand, give or take.”

“S-sixty!?” Mona’s eyes blew wide in shock, “No wonder that school is so huge, getting sales like that for _one_ ticket! These people really are crazy.”

Joker sighed as they were reaped of sixty thousand yen. At least the ticket would be delivered tomorrow by mail, Aiba set up an anonymous P.O. box not too far from the Raven’s Nest for them.

“Hey, we still have plenty for sushi. We’ll have to get some for Kaito and Aiba though, so they won’t feel left out.”

“Can I get tuna!? I like tuna!” He gave Joker the most adorable expression he could muster, complete with big eyes and saggy ears, “I looooove tuna. Did I mention that I want tuna, Joker?”

“Nope, not once.” Joker laughed and pat Mona’s head with a smile, “I’ll look up a nearby restaurant so we can get your tuna.”

“Yes!”

Joker looked over at Mona. He had his eyes closed as he hummed a random tune and bounced happily on his front paws. Joker exited the browser while he was distracted. The Phantom Thief chat room was still vacant, not a single word had been sent by the others. It was like a knife twisting through his heart. He missed them so much already.

_“Trickster…”_

_“I’m fine, Yatagarasu.”_

Of course, the bird’s doubts trickled down his spine, but he said no more.

He didn’t know what prompted him to type all of a sudden.

****[Joker]** **

_So much has happened in such a short time._

_We met a girl that reminds me of you, Oracle. Mona said I was being too soft after she tried to blackmail us, but she was so much like you before you joined us that I just couldn’t help it. Perks of being an adoptive big brother, I guess?_

_I’ll be going by a new name soon, a false identity that is being created by that same girl._

_If any of you make it to this world, then simply look for the Raven. The thief protecting that nest should point you in the right direction. Hopefully._

_Loading…._

****[ERROR! SERVER NOT FOUND!]** **

****

****

Joker scoffed, drawing Mona’s attention.

“What is it? Are the restaurants closed!?”

“No,” He closed out of the chat room before Mona could see, “The nearest one is a few blocks away.”

“Well, what are we waiting for, then!?” Mona jumped back on his perch, “Let’s gooo! Sushi waits for nobody!”

“Yeah yeah, we’re going!” He said as he stood and dusted himself off.

Outside, Joker was smiling and laughing alongside his partner, excitement bubbled between them as they inched closer to their delicious reward.

On the inside, Ren dearly missed his family, and he wouldn’t forgive himself if they never returned home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT!: I did make a few small changes in regards to the items they sold Giran.
> 
> Oof, poor Joker. Maybe some special sushi will make you feel better.
> 
> Also??? We passed 5k hits, already?? You guys are all amazing XD Last chapter was also the most comments I have /ever/ gotten on a single chapter! It was awesome and made me smile like no other, it means a lot to me to see that so many people are enjoying this story as much as I am enjoying writing it!


	13. Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgana narrowed his eyes, “You want to patrol around as Joker.”
> 
> It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edits made 10/9/2020

“This sushi better be worth the money.”

Morgana chuckled, “Oh please, _any_ sushi is worth the money, especially when it’s tuna!”

Ren rolled his eyes as a plastic bag hung from his wrist. He wasn’t keen on spending another twenty thousand yen on sushi alone, but his heart couldn’t say no to Morgana’s pleading eyes. Four different trays had been prepared and he hoped Aiba and Kaito would like theirs, that or Morgana would devour everything and get sick the next day.

Either way, they were heading back to the Raven’s Nest for the night. There was a certain ambiance in the nightlife of this part of the city, full of colorful lights that painted the cityscape with vibrant colors, shops, and restaurants that exuded mouthwatering scents. They stopped at the crosswalk and waited for the light to turn green when someone standing next to him cursed under his breath.

Ren looked over to a scowling boy around his age, with wild purple hair and so many bags under his eyes that an entire week of sleep wouldn’t erase them. His shoulders were tense as he looked to the crowd behind them, but he must’ve felt Ren’s staring. He whipped around with a daggered glare.

“What the hell are you staring at?” He snapped.

Morgana blinked at him as Ren raised a brow, then turned away. The other boy scoffed as the light finally turned green, Ren dug out his phone and pretended to scroll through it as the purple boy rushed to the other side of the street.

“Ren, what are you doing?” Morgana asked as they crossed at a snail’s pace, “The tuna’s gonna go bad at this rate!”

“I know that look,” He said, “He was scared and kept glancing over his shoulder. Don’t you think that’s suspicious?”

Morgana hummed, then peered at the other boy, “Let’s follow him, just in case.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. It didn’t take long to see who the boy was afraid of. Another group shouldered past the crowd, the purple-haired kid looked over his shoulder again and fear flashed through his eyes. The group nudged each other with vicious snickers and stalked closer like a pack of wolves going for the kill.

Purple ducked into an alley, but his pursuers were on him.

 _“The boy pens himself in like a lamb to the slaughter.”_ Yatagarasu’s faithful shadow floated high over them, _“What is it you plan to do?”_

_“Just watch.”_

Morgana hopped off of his shoulder as they slipped into the dark alley, quiet as ghosts. It was long and narrow, with a single turn that led right to a dead end. That’s where they cornered Purple, who stared at the ground, eyes scarily blank. The ringleader had wolfish mutations, complete with a canine head and a long bushy tail poking out of his pants, his lackeys looked to be like any discount thug that could be scraped off the cement of a Red Light District. They looked rather young though, _too_ youngto have that sort of life. 

Ren took off his glasses and tucked them away as Morgana leaped on a nearby garbage bin to watch the show. Yatagarasu landed on the ledge of a building. He looked down on these worms, the power of ripping winds was at the tips of his feathers, should the Trickster call for it.

“How could they let a villain into a hero school?” Wolf asked as he shoved Purple’s shoulder, “You should’ve done all of us a favor and just given up. Nobody wants someone like Silver Falcon in their ranks, though I hope Stain gets to you before Joker.”

Purple opened his mouth but was silenced by a quick jab to the stomach. The sickening sound bounced off the walls as Purple double over, coughing.

“Were you about to _talk_?” Wolf asked dangerously.

“Ooh,” The thug on the right said with a grin, “I think he was about to use his quirk on you!”

“Maybe we should teach him a lesson!” The other cackled, “He can’t use his quirk if he doesn’t have a tongue!”

Purple’s face drained of all color and he took in a sharp breath, but he still kept his head down. It was as if he hopelessly waited for the executioner’s blade to fall.

“Only cowards lord their power over the helpless.”

The trio whirled around to Ren, Purple stared at him with comically wide eyes, though several different emotions ran through his ivory pupils. The sleazy lackeys looked to Wolf as he grinned, revealing the rows of deadly fangs. Wolf stomped over to him. The beast was several inches taller, but Ren had stared down a god and lived to tell the tale.

“And who the hell do you think you are?” Wolf growled, “I’ve never seen you around before.”

“I’m new to this city,” Ren grinned, and it was somehow sharper than Wolf’s fangs, “But I couldn’t just stand by and watch this happen.”

Wolf stiffened as the air became heavy. There was something _off_ about this kid, the way his eyes were like twisting silver daggers thrown straight through the heart, pupils rimmed with glittering gold. Beautiful, but deadly.

“A-are you just going to let him talk to you like that?” One of the thugs asked, sweating.

Wolf shook his head and snarled, a clawed fist flew straight for Ren’s face. Suddenly, the kid’s eyes flooded with golden fire. A raven’s call screamed out into the night as gusts of sharp emerald winds batted them away, but Purple was left untouched as they crashed into the walls and slid down into pathetic heaps. Playful gusts swirled around them, ruffling Ren’s hair and clothes, his footsteps were like drums of war as he approached Wolf, who flinched.

“Leave.” Ren commanded, “I better not see you threatening anybody else again, otherwise I won’t be so merciful.”

Wolf flattened his ears on his head, his tail between his legs, but he scrambled up and ran from the alley on all fours.

“H-hey, wait for us!”

“You’re just leaving us here!?”

They froze when Ren turned to them, but he motioned to the exit.

“Go.”

They pulled themselves from the ground and fled, Morgana barely held back a snort as one of them face planted on the way out. The alleyway was left in silence for several moments as the wind died down. Ren took a deep breath, then slowly let it out as voices hummed in his mind.

_“Did you see-hee how fast they ran-ho!?”_

_“Hmph, what weak men.”_

_“Haha! The pup almost peed himself! You outdid yourself on this one, Trickster.”_

_“Even me could devour them! Master, can I chase!?”_

_“You had your turn once already, Cerberus. Allow me to sharpen my claws this time!”_

_“My claws will always be sharper than yours, pussy cat!”_

_“Calm yourselves,”_ Arsene said, _“The Trickster exacted justice perfectly, we don’t need to spoil the moment.”_

 _“With my help, of course!”_ Yatagarasu puffed up his feathers, _“My wind was flawlessly timed!”_

 _“Yes, you did very well.”_ Ren said, the bird warbled proudly.

Ren dug out his glasses and perched them on his nose, adjusted his various bags, then approached Purple, who had yet to move. He clutched his stomach and flinched back as Ren approached.

_“Yatagarasu.”_

_“Understood.”_

Ren’s eyes flickered with gold just as a pale green light encased Purple’s body. The boy’s eyes widened as he looked at his hands, then felt around his stomach. There was no more pain.

“Better?” Ren asked, he frowned when Purple didn’t answer and exchanged glances with Morgana, “Did you know those guys?”

“I…” Purple cleared his throat, “I went to middle school with them.”

“They looked a bit older than middle schoolers.”

Purple scoffed, still glaring at the ground, “Would you believe that they got held back a couple of years?”

Ren hummed, “Well, we can’t stick around. I’m sure those bullies won’t be bothering you ever again, so-”

“Why?”

Ren furrowed his brow, “Why what?”

“Why did you help me?” Purple finally stood and eyed him with suspicion, “Nobody’s _ever_ helped before. Most people would even sit back and watch!”

“Because I wanted to, and because I can’t stand people like them.”

Purple stared into his steely eyes, trying and failing to pierce through a lie. The boy’s expressions softened, the tension in his shoulders slowly bled out as he swallowed thickly.

“You’re telling the truth…?”

Ren nodded, “Do I have any reason to lie?”

“I… I don’t think so?” Purple sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I guess I should say thanks?”

“Don’t mention it.”

Ren turned to walk away, but Purple held out his hand.

“Wait!” Ren stopped and looked over his shoulder, “I’ve never seen powers like that. What exactly is your quirk?”

“I don’t have one,” He said with a soft smile, then looked up to Yatagarasu, “For all that this place is concerned, I’m completely quirkless.”

Purple followed his eyes and stiffened.

Yatagarasu shuffled his feathers as Ren turned towards the exit, but Purple had seen the odd number of legs and the magatama. A noble aura radiated from it. The raven nodded down at him, stunning the boy in place, before taking flight.

Morgana leaped onto his usual perch as Ren passed and they exited the alley. The streets were calmer now, as the night had stretched on and the crowds have thinned out. Morgana was deep in thought for a while before he finally spoke.

“You seriously don’t know how scary you are when you’re angry.”

Ren chuckled, “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad?”

“Are you kidding me?” He said as he stared at him in disbelief, “My fur was standing on end with _that_ display, and you didn't even have your costume on! I don’t think we’ll see those punks around here any time soon, and the kid is safe and sound.”

“Yeah.” Ren crossed one street and onto another, “I’ve been thinking.”

Morgana nudged Ren’s cheek, “About what?”

“A couple of things, actually.” Ren pushed up his glasses, “First, Aiba says that the ID will be finished tomorrow, so I was thinking of getting a job.”

“Oh? Where?”

“You know all of those stores and such we saw around U.A.?”

Morgana's eyes lit up, “Yeah?”

“If I can get in one close enough to the school, maybe Yatagarasu can-”

“Still scan over the grounds? You can make money _and_ collect valuable information!” He chimed happily, “And since it’s close to the school, then maybe some of the students will stop in too. That’s perfect, Ren!”

“I know.” He said with a grin.

“And the other thing?”

Ren stopped as his smile faded. They were farther away from the brighter lights and fancy restaurants by now, the barren sidewalk was lined with flickering lamp posts, the atmosphere was dead and stale. Darkness easily clung to the side streets here.

“It’s about what just happened. That kid can’t be the only victim, who knows how many others suffer like that. We’ve seen how some ‘heroes’ act in this world already.”

Morgana narrowed his eyes, “You want to patrol around as Joker.”

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. Ren nodded.

“Well, I’m not going to tell you no, but I think we should lay low for a while until this Silver Falcon stuff dies down a bit first.” Morgana said as he looked to Yatagarasu overhead, “Plus it’s better if we know this city a bit more before we do anything else. We already made a name for ourselves, so the others can find us if they ever make it here.”

Ren continued walking, “Exactly.”

“And as long as you get enough sleep.”

“With you around? I always get enough.”

Morgana smiled at that. They continued the rest of the way in silence, just enjoying the night air and each other’s company. At long last, they made it back to the Raven’s Nest, Yatagarasu vanished into cinders as they stepped inside.

Kaito released a sigh of relief and even _smiled_ at them when they came in. Ren stepped up to the front desk as he dug through the plastic bag and produced a vibrant sushi tray, he blinked at it as Ren held it out.

“What’s this?”

“Our celebration!” Morgana said with stars in his eyes, “Mine has mostly tuna, of course.”

“Ah,” Kaito took the offering with a wry smile, “A celebration for clipping a falcon’s wings? Did you hear that they’re reimbursing every yen that the falcon took from us? _All_ of us?”

Ren’s eyes widened, “Really?”

“Really. It seems the people who brought him to justice got a hold of handwritten receipts and lists of all of his victims. The dirty money matches the amount, and there is a wave of victims giving their testimonies, so the police have everything they need.” Kaito’s smile softened into a genuine one as he looked down at the sushi offering, “But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“Of course not.” Ren said with a grin.

“I didn’t think so.” Kaito’s voice dripped with sarcasm, “But I bet you’re tired, so go ahead and get some rest.”

“Now that sounds familiar.” Morgana said with a chuckle.

“But… we haven’t paid?” Ren said, frowning, “This would be the third time you’ve let us stay for free.”

Kaito simply blinked slowly, “Kid, Silver Falcon has been leeching off of me for _years,_ but I’ll be getting every yen back plus a healthy bonus from the Hero Commission as an apology. As far as I’m concerned you just paid me for a lifetime of free rooms.”

“I…” Ren cleared his throat, “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” Kaito waved his hand at them, “Now go on, you two look beat.”

Morgana hopped off of Ren’s shoulder and pranced towards the lounge door with Ren at his heels.

“One last thing.” Kaito said as Ren held the door open, “I usually only learn the names of my clients if they become long term. So, if you’re willing to share?”

“It’s just Morgana.” The cat said as he popped his head back in.

But Ren hesitated. Kaito noticed and opened his mouth to speak, but Ren beat him to it.

“Kurusu Akira.” He said with conviction.

“Well then,” Kaito snorted, then shook his head, “Have a good night, Morgana and Kurusu-kun.” 

He waved them off a second time as he popped open his sushi offering, they left him in peace. They crossed through the lounge and knocked on Aiba’s door. She peeked out but brightened when she saw them.

“It’s good that you’re here!” She ducked inside for a moment before shoving a manila folder into his free hand, “I know I said it wouldn’t be finished until tomorrow, but I worked extra hard to get it done tonight!”

“I-”

“Oh, is that for me?” She swiped the second sushi tray, “I heard all the way from the front, so thanks! I have some other work to do, so if you won’t mind?”

The door clicked shut. Ren and Morgana stared at it for several seconds, the familiar keys tapping away like there was no tomorrow. With a shrug, they made their way to their own little cubicle. Ren dumped off everything at the door and slipped off his shoes with a sigh.

“You want your sushi?”

“Tuna!” Morgana’s eyes blew wide and he crouched down as if going for a pounce, “Yes! Sushi!!”

Ren chuckled as he dug out Morgana’s sushi and set it down, “Please don’t eat it so fast that you get sick?”

“Hmm?” Morgana was already stuffing his face, “I can’t hear you over how delicious this tuna is!”

Ren finally sat down on the cushion, sushi in one hand, his new identity in the other. He chewed thoughtfully as he scanned over the myriad of papers that made up this false life. People, friends, _family,_ an entire education and birthplace that had never taken place in reality. He absorbed every detail of this false identity, this other self that was not named Amamiya Ren, but Kurusu Akira. Aiba gave him an odd look when he wanted to be classified as quirkless, though.

Tomorrow, their quest for information would continue. He would get a simple job close to U.A., have Yatagarasu circle the place until they knew the layout, perhaps even meet a few of the students. Then, they could be adequately prepared for their infiltration mission.

It would be easy.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “It’s just Morgana.” The cat said as he popped his head back in.  
> But Ren hesitated. Kaito noticed and opened his mouth to speak, but Ren beat him to it.  
> “Kurusu Akira.” He said with conviction.  
> “Well then,” Kaito snorted, then shook his head, “Have a good night, Morgana and Kurusu-kun.”
> 
> ...Do you guys realize how tempting it was to have Kaito say some lame dad joke or something?


	14. Will Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Alright, don’t go too far.”
> 
> “I won’t.” Morgana rolled his eyes, “I’ll keep the warehouse in sight at all times and I know not take any candy from strangers.”

Before we start I would like to share the very first [FAN](https://twitter.com/aamarisarts/status/1267591188716105734) [ART](https://twitter.com/Wrath_of_Nature/status/1268029453118009345?s=20)s that I've ever gotten!! I didn't cry, I swear.

~*~*~*~

A knock on the door startled him from his work.

Tsukauchi looked up from the mountain of paperwork as the door swung open, Sansa stepped in and plopped a folder on his desk.

“The results of the DNA taken from the USJ Nomu.”

“Already? They worked fast.” Tsukauchi said, his hand hovered over the folder, “Why are you giving me that look? Is it that bad?”

The cat shook his head with a grimace, “See for yourself.”

He opened it up and studied its contents. The DNA matched five different men who had all gone missing from various parts of Japan. Tsukauchi’s stomach turned as he closed the folder with a long sigh.

“So it really is a mindless experiment?”

“It seems so. It just stares on blankly and doesn’t react to outside stimulus.” Sansa said as he crossed his arms, “The DNA also matches those people, but the quirks that the Nomu had doesn’t. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Tsukauchi froze, it was like the wind was stolen from his lungs.

“Their quirks didn’t match, as if they were traded off or stolen.”

“But that wouldn’t be possible,” Sansa tilted his head to the side, “Would it?”

Dread roiled in Tsukauchi’s heart.

That man was supposed to be dead! If he survived, and that Nomu was just an experiment of his, then there would be more. Was it just a fluke? A spare? Something that the League found in an old lab? No, that wasn’t it, All For One was always meticulous in his experiments, so he wouldn’t just leave it lying around for anybody to find. His thoughts suddenly wandered to Joker.

Odd creatures, strange powers, a rare skill set that would’ve taken years to master, mistrust of authority figures or adults in general. He didn’t seem to have much knowledge of the world either, which was odd for a boy his age. Would that make him…?

_Escape._

_Assassination attempts._

_Experiments…._

Sansa flinched as Tsukauchi stood, his chair flying back.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.” Tsukauchi stepped around his desk and dug out his phone, “I just need to make a few phone calls.”

“Naomasa,” Sansa grabbed his shoulder before he could leave, “Why don’t you just sit down and take a break? Between the League of Villains, the mess with Silver Falcon, and that vigilante case, you’ve been running yourself down.”

“I’ll take a nap after I’m done.”

“You better,” An evil gleam sparked in the feline’s eyes, “Otherwise I’ll confiscate your coffee machine for two weeks.”

Tsukauchi stared as if he had been slapped, “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.” Sansa turned around and opened the door, “I’ll give you your privacy, but I’ll be back in an hour. If you’re not napping on that couch by then your machine will be coming home to my kitchen.”

Tsukauchi chuckled as the cat left the room, but his smile fell just as fast. His finger hovered over the call button to his best friend. If his theories were right, and All For One was still alive, then what did that make Joker? Was he an experiment of that wretched man, too? Another sigh escaped him as he pressed dial and held it up to his ear.

If any of his theories were correct, then they _had_ to find Joker.

If All For One really was still alive, then they had to find the poor kid before that man did.

~*~*~*~

Ren… no, his name was _Akira_ now,left the cafe behind, ignoring the pain in his heart when the tiny bell sounded just like Leblanc’s. Another rejection. A sharp sigh did nothing to soothe the irritation rumbling in his chest, he blended into the crowd and slipped into the nearby alleyway when nobody was looking.

Morgana poked his head out from behind a garbage bin, eyes hopeful.

“So? How did this one go?”

“It was going good, at first,” He said as he kicked a can down the way, “Then we got into the topic of quirks and it all fell apart from there.”

“Not again.” Morgana huffed as he glared at the ground, “Don’t these people realize that their powers aren’t everything?”

“They must’ve missed the memo.” Akira frowned, “I guess that’s why Aiba was looking at me weird when I said I wanted to be quirkless.”

Morgana snorted, “And you even got new clothes just for these interviews too.”

Akira looked down on himself. Honestly, he almost forgot just how _refreshing_ clean clothes felt, they dipped a bit more into their funds to get him a new blazer, a few t-shirts, another pair of jeans, etcetera, but nothing overly fancy. There was a laundromat not too from the Raven’s Nest, too.

“Well, onto the next one, then. It isn’t too far away, right?”

Akira checked his phone and nodded, Morgana abandoned his usual perch to walk beside his partner in crime. These alleyway mazes were becoming more familiar to them, even without Yatagarasu’s guidance. Morgana spoke as if reading his mind.

“How’s our eye in the sky doing?”

Akira gently tugged on the verdant string between himself and the majestic bird. The distance made the thread as taut as a bowstring, but it still had a bit of give yet. He wondered what would ever happen if this string snapped, Morgana forbade him from even trying. 

“Still circling over U.A. I don’t think anybody’s noticed yet.”

“Of course they wouldn’t, as long as he doesn’t get too close to anyone.”

“Yeah, he already knows that.”

They stopped before the edge of the alley, Morgana rubbed against his ankles and smiled up at Akira.

“Hey, chin up.” He said, “One of these places has to hire you, right?”

“Maybe. At least half of them never called back, though. I’m telling you this world has something against us.”

“Then it’s their loss! They’re truly blind if they can’t see past a single word stamped on a piece of paper.” Morgana hid behind a dumpster and sat down, “Well, good luck on this next one.”

“Thanks.”

Akira pushed up his glasses and stepped out into the sunlit street.

~*~*~*~

“Deku-kun!”

Midoriya looked up from his spot within the crowded train to Uraraka. She gently nudged past other people and stood next to him, beaming. The boy tried not to stiffen and turn into a cherry tomato when they brushed arms, he hoped his voice wasn’t too squeaky.

“G-good morning, Uraraka-san!”

“Good morning!” She adjusted the bag hanging off her shoulder, “Did you sleep okay?”

Midoriya shrugged, “A-about the usual…”

In truth, he stayed up well past 2 in the morning looking up articles and forums about Joker. That boy’s quirk was _amazing_ , and he would never forget the massive snowy lion that saved him from the Nomu. How many monsters did Joker control? Was there an extent to their power, how were they limited? Was there even a limit to their powers? That lion actually spoke to him, so were they intelligent enough to think on their own? Were they-

Uraraka gently nudged him and he clamped a hand over his mouth. Was he muttering again? But no, she pointed up to a nearby screen with a shaky smile. Any hint of chatter died down in the train car as the newscaster spoke.

_“An update on the case of Kyogi Munashisa, otherwise known as the former hero Silver Falcon. This morning he pleaded Not Guilty to his charges, despite his absent legal team and the mounting evidence against him. Many of his former victims have come forward and offered to be witnesses on the case, with more pouring in as time goes on. There will be more on this case as it breaks.”_

It went to commercial and the train broke out in whispers.

“What a shame,” An old woman said with a shake of her head, “I never expected a hero to fall so low.”

“It’s all lies!” Another man shouted, “Everything has to be fake! It was a vigilante who’s spreading all of this garbage, why aren’t they pressing charges on him!?”

“You can’t be serious,” A woman in a business suit said, glaring, “You’re denying all of the evidence even when it’s laid down in front of you?”

The man scoffed, “Anything could be forged, this vigilante could be paying people off and telling them to make up these lies!”

“Shut up! Don’t act like you know everything!”

The train quieted as a girl their age rose from her seat, her shaking white knuckles clutched her school bag.

“And what would you know, little girl?”

“I know plenty.” Rage made the girl’s cheeks bloom red, her eyes stabbed into the man like daggers, “My grandparents own a bakery, you know. Silver Falcon paid them plenty of visits.”

“So what?” The man rolled his eyes, “A hero can visit anybody’s shop.”

“Oh yeah? How about when Silver Falcon threatened to destroy their store if they didn’t pay this month? The stress was so great that my grandfather had a heart attack! I don’t care what the authorities think of vigilantism, but my grandparents can continue their work in peace after he gets out of the hospital. If anyone is a _true_ hero, it would be Joker.”

She sat down with finality and crossed her arms. The train was dead silent.

“Whatever,” The man muttered beneath his breath, “It’s all a load of bullshit, anyway.”

Midoriya and Uraraka gaped at each other as the unnatural quiet stretched, until a single comment threw it back into chaos.

“A true hero, huh? It kind of reminds me of Stain…”

Uraraka grasped Midoriya’s arm and they fled the train car when it pulled into its stop. They exited the train station with quick feet and heavy hearts.

“Deku…” Midoriya looked at Uraraka, whose eyes were trained to the ground, “What was Joker like during the USJ?”

“H-he was really cool.” He said with a small smile, “He saved me from the Nomu, and he had such confidence and skill! I wish you could’ve seen the monsters he uses Uraraka-san! He…. he also healed Aizawa-sensei’s injuries. I don’t know what would’ve happened to our teacher if he didn’t.”

Uraraka grasped the front of her shirt and was quiet for the next several steps.

“I… I don’t want to become like Silver Falcon,” She said as a film of tears came into her eyes, “I’m becoming a hero because I want the money for my parents. Does that make me like him?”

“N-no!” Midoriya waved his hands frantically, “Not at all! Y-you’re going to be an amazing hero, Uraraka! Plus, working to earn money for your parents is nothing like what Silver Falcon did!”

“I guess you’re right,” Her shoulders relaxed and she gave him a watery smile, “Thanks for saying that.”

“Besides, the Sports Festival isn’t too far away. We get to show everyone that we’re nothing like him, that we’re the dependable heroes of the future! We’ll do our best, right?”

“Yeah!” Uraraka blinked, then grinned with scary determination, “We’ll do our best!!”

They were so busy chatting that they didn’t hear a cafe door swing open, too distracted to divert the collision until it was too late. There was a cry of shock as Midoriya knocked shoulders with somebody.

“Aah! I-I’m sorry!” Midoriya shouted, “Are you okay!?”

Midoriya looked down the boy he just plowed over. He looked to be their age, with fluffy black hair and soft eyes hidden behind thick glasses, he wore casual clothes instead of a school uniform. Recognition flashed in his eyes as he accepted Midoriya’s helping hand. There was something strange about this boy, a certain beguiling air that reeled them in like fish.

“I’m fine,” He said with a sheepish grin, “I wasn’t exactly paying attention either.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Uraraka asked softly as he dusted himself off, “You look kind of sad, I-if you don’t mind me saying so.”

The boy rubbed the back of his neck and smiled, but there was no happiness to it.

“Yeah, just went through another job interview. It’s nothing, really. Maybe the next one will be better.” The boy checked his phone, “Speaking of which, my next one will begin soon, so I have to go.”

“Do you want us to walk you there?” Midoriya asked, smiling, “It’s the least I can do after bumping into you like that!”

The boy blinked slowly, the gears cranking in his mind. Midoriya was drawn to his peculiar eyes, studying the intense silver and wavering rim of gold around his pupils. Were they part of his quirk? Or just a genetic mutation? His hands twitched and he longed to write in his notebook, but the boy spoke before he could.

“Sure, why not?” He shifted his weight and nodded, “Though, it’s literally just down the street, so you guys don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Nonsense!” Uraraka beamed, “We still have time!”

The boy nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets as he led the way.

“So, do you guys go to U.A.? I recognize your uniforms.”

“Yup! We’re in Class 1-A!”

The boy’s jaw dropped, “You mean the class that fought at the USJ?”

“Uh…” Uraraka’s trailed down to the ground, “Yeah….”

“I’m sorry,” The boy said as he pushed up his glasses, “Fighting real villains must’ve been terrifying, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“No, its okay, really!” She said as she held her hands up, “It was scary, but we all got through it because we worked together. Honestly, I think living through that brought our class closer together.”

“Yeah,” Midoriya frowned as he looked to the U.A. building in the distance, “If anything, it taught us what it’s really like to risk our lives as heroes. We got real-world experience with villains, so it’ll make us better heroes down the line, right?”

Uraraka nodded, “Right!”

“Then, I’m glad.” A genuine smile lit up the boy’s eyes, but he stopped in his tracks, “Well, this is my stop. I’ll see you guys around?”

Midoriya looked up at the tiny flower shop. Bursts of color made the inside pop, the floral scents that drifted on the air were somehow relaxing.

“Yeah!” Midoriya said brightly, “See you!”

“Good luck with your interview!” Uraraka said as she watched the boy go inside, then she turned to Midoriya, “Something wrong, Deku?”

“Nothing!” Midoriya startled, “He just…. seemed kind of familiar? But I can’t exactly place where I met him before.”

“Hmmm,” Uraraka checked her phone and her face drained of color, “We’re gonna be late to class, Deku! We better hurry or we’ll get a lecture from Iida-kun! Or something worse from Aizawa-sensei!”

Midoriya had a sinking thought as they sprinted down the pavement.

They didn’t even ask the boy for his name.

~*~*~*~

“Cheer up Ren, er… Akira.” Morgana said, “We’ll get through this.”

“I know.” Akira shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked down the abandoned alley, “I just wish we didn’t have _eleven_ interviews that all ended the exact same way. It would only take _one_ phone call in our world to get a job, so why is it so difficult here?”

The air around them smelled of salt and rust when they exited the alley, abandoned warehouses could be seen in the distance as the sky was painted with fiery hues.

“It is ridiculous.” Morgana said as he glanced up to his partner, prancing along by his feet, “You have to remember that this isn’t our world though, things are done a lot differently here. It’s too bad we haven't met anyone like Boss, but I know not everyone will be so open-minded. We just have to keep trying.” 

Akira faltered in his steps, but saved himself before Morgana noticed. He pushed down the sharp stab in his heart, the rustle of Arsene’s wings and a rush of comfort came over his mind, and he was thankful for his unwavering support. They said nothing more as they snuck towards the abandoned warehouses. Akira stopped in front of the door and looked down at Morgana.

“You want to come inside, or..?”

Morgana shook his head, “I’ll patrol around and make sure nobody sneaks up on us, and I wanted to practice this wind sensing ability too.”

“Alright, don’t go too far.”

“I won’t.” Morgana rolled his eyes, “I’ll keep the warehouse in sight at all times and I know not to take any candy from strangers.”

Akira chuckled, “I feel sorry for any strangers that would try to take you.”

Morgana snickered, then wandered off to the other side of the warehouse. With a sigh, Akira opened the door and stepped inside. This warehouse was a bit more crowded than the one he met Giran in, with stacks of rusting crates piled high. He wrinkled his nose at the floating specs of dust as his footsteps echoed. He stopped in the middle, right in the center of a pool of fiery sunlight that poured in from the window.

“So, which one of you should I practice with first?”

A chorus of excited voices made him smirk. He practically felt Yatagarasu’s pride ooze through his mindscape.

 _“Pick whoever, Trickster,”_ Arsene said, _“I’m sure you’ll master these bonds in no time.”_

 _“Master not listen to him!”_ Cerberus howled, _“Pick me?”_

_“The Trickster could be a master over all impurities and filth, if thine chooses me first.”_

_“Please, big brother? My teddies want to come out and play.”_

_“Silence, the Mask Bearer cannot even think straight with all of this noise!”_

_“The Trickster knows best,”_ A voice of rumbling thunder said, _“We will all get our turn, so be patient and trust in his first choice.”_

_“Oh hush, grandpa! How would it ever be your turn if you can’t even fit in this small warehouse?”_

_“Says the tiny one who can be crushed with the barest tip of my claw.”_

“Enough, I think I’ve made my choice.” The voices went silent as an easy smirk broke through, “Come, Byakko!”

A prye of swirling blue flames lit up the warehouse, his costume appeared like a second skin as Byakko was pulled into the physical realm. Although the great feline was just a bit smaller than the guard dog of hell, he was no less ferocious. Soft tufts of extra fur decorated his legs and his bottom jaw, his long tail swished happily as Joker stepped up to pet his massive head.

Byakko’s glacier blue eyes drank in every detail about the warehouse as Joker withdrew his hand. His nose twitched and he snorted at the salty air.

“The others were correct,” Byakko said as an icy cool mist left his lips, “This world does feel strange.”

“It does?” Joker asked with a raised brow, “How so?”

Byakko sat down, the simple motion was somehow regal and awe-inspiring, as expected for a king of beasts. His eyes still scanned the room, then flicked to Joker with a lazy blink.

“This place is quite unlike the Metaverse. There is enchanting energy to it. It feels like I was once a tiny drop in a vast sea, lost to the wills of something far bigger than I. Yet now it’s like I control the sea’s power, one tiny ripple doesn’t swallow me up anymore. I feel…. whole? A flickering veil has been torn away, so my mind is once again clear.”

Joker frowned. It didn’t really make much sense to him, but then again, nothing did ever since they were forced to this world.

“But we are not here to discuss such things,” Byakko said with a shake of his furry head, “Yatagarasu was right in saying that there are new instincts to a new world. Can you feel our bond?”

Joker pushed the previous topic out of his mind as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The manifestation of their bond appeared automatically, but it was a lot different compared to Yatagarasu’s, for it wasn’t actually a string at all. It was a ribbon, silky smooth, and as reflective and blue as the ice that the mythical tiger commanded. The ribbon floated serenely on invisible winds, but Joker heard a strange noise in the background, like the peaceful whisper of fresh snowfall.

He imagined himself grasping it.

Permafrost crackled up his body like glass shards, so cold that it felt like it was on fire. Joker gasped as his eyes flew open, releasing the ribbon in the process. He looked down at his arms, the ice wasn’t actually there and his costume hadn’t vanished.

He glanced back at Byakko, who studied him with slitted pupils. Joker held back a shiver as his breath left in a ghostly fog.

“Well, that was weird.”

“Interesting,” Byakko stood and slowly circled around Joker, a thin sheet of ice crept onto the floor with each step, “It seems there may be adverse effects, should we not control it correctly.”

Joker opened and closed his fist several times, the pain slowly fading, then he smirked at Byakko.

“When did a little pain ever stop us?”

“Quite.” Byakko huffed in laughter, “Shall we continue, Trickster?”

Joker nodded and closed his eyes.

It took a few hours of practice, but they were able to make Joker’s costume vanish.

~*~*~*~

_“Cold-blooded murder versus hard truth.”_ A voice echoed through the dingy little bar, _“That’s what people have been debating since Silver Falcon’s arrest, the philosophies of an S rank villain or a vigilante that has taken the internet by storm.”_

Tomura huddled over the bar, glaring at the tiny character within his handheld system.

_“Joker, who is also the vigilante who appeared during the USJ invasion, has revealed a dark truth about one of Japan’s top heroes. How does that conflict with Stain’s methods? Joker has shown that it’s possible to reveal fake heroes without killing them, and-”_

“Kurogiri!” Tomura was _this_ close to dusting his game, “Turn that crap off. It’s all everybody’s been talking about!”

“Yes, Shigaraki Tomura.”

Finally, blessed silence.Tomura returned to his game as Kurogiri continued cleaning the same glass over and over, but the fragile peace never lasted. The screen at the end of the bar turned on, showing ‘Sound Only’.

_“Something bothers you, Tomura?”_

“Sensei!” The game was forgotten as he turned to the screen, “I’m pissed off! They’re completely ignoring us, they only talk about Stain and that infuriating secret boss. Is there even one mention about the League of Villains? No!”

Tomura stood, the chair screeching against hardwood, and paced around the bar. The dryness on his neck began to burn, he couldn’t resist scratching the angry red marks. Kurogiri put down his glass, preparing for another of his tantrums, as Sensei spoke.

_“Yes, you have failed during the USJ, but there is another chance for you to try again. How can you twist this situation in your favor?”_

Tomura’s nails stopped, “What do you mean?”

_“This new vigilante has thrown the hero world off course. Intentional or not, he shook it to it’s very core, people’s trust in them has plummeted as a result. Stain might have a much larger following, but many people are torn between the two.”_

He turned Sensei’s words in his mind, “So… if we can get them to join with the League…”

“Pardon the interruption,” Kurogiri ignored Tomura’s scathing glare, “But I don’t think it would be possible for Joker to join us. He obviously opposed our methods and he was powerful enough to take on the Nomu with the beasts he controls.”

_“I see. Summoning quirks are almost unheard of, and to be able to use more than one monster is beyond rare. Is there anything else we know about the boy?”_

Tomura slowly tilted his head, “Didn’t he ask you a weird question, Kurogiri?”

“Indeed,” Kurogiri looked to the ceiling in thought, his mist wavering, “He asked me if I had a connection with someone named Yaldabaoth.”

 _“Yaldabaoth? I wonder who is arrogant enough to name themselves after a false god. How intriguing.”_ Sensei hummed, _“However, if Joker doesn’t join us, then I wouldn’t mind relieving him of his quirk. It’s such a rare gem that shouldn’t be overlooked.”_

“Or he could be made into a Nomu.” Tomura said with a sickening grin, “I still want him to pay for ruining my final boss.”

All For One chuckled.

To have such a powerful quirk….

The man behind the screen grinned from ear to ear. Now he only had to acquire this gem before the heroes snatched it out of his grasp.

~*~*~*~

Akira sat in a small office nestled in the back of a cafe.

The interview had been going swimmingly, but it changed at the drop of a hat, just like all of the others. The owner had been deathly silent ever since Akira muttered that single cursed word.

Quirkless.

It hung in the air like a poisonous miasma, the man’s indigo eyes pierced into him as if he were personally insulted. The drop of a pin would sound like a bomb going off.

Akira had felt a wierd sense of deja vu when he walked in, as this man had the same unruly indigo hair and ivory irises as the kid he saved a few nights ago. The only difference was that this man was obviously older, with a rough line of facial hair tracing his jawline. 

“Sorry kid, I don’t think you’d fit here.”

He’d heard those words one too many times in the last three days alone. Akira kept the rush of anger from his face, he was expecting it anyway. He stood and bowed just to be polite.

“Thank you for your time.”

He turned on his heel with a rotten sourness in his chest, just barely resisting the urge to slam the door shut. Maybe it would be worth it to have Aiba change his quirk status, nothing overly powerful, weak and easily forgettable. Or would changing it draw more attention than necessary?

_“Trickster…”_

_“It’s fine, Arsene.”_ He said, _“I’m trying not to let it bother me so much.”_

_“Well, if you want any of these scoundrels to face justice-”_

“It’s _you_.”

Akira snapped out of his mental conversation to stare into Purple’s surprised face. He had the same school uniform as Midoriya and that other girl he ‘bumped’ into. Purple glanced up and down the hallway, then eyed him with suspicion.

“What are you doing here? Are you stalking me or something?”

“Not a chance.” Akira snorted, “I just came for a job interview.”

“Oh, I saw that my dad just put out a notice.” Purple perked up, his lips twitched in a half-smile, “So I guess I’ll be seeing you around more?”

“Unfortunately not,” He said with a frown, “No quirk, remember?”

The boy froze. Many emotions flashed through Purple’s eyes, until it finally settled on anger.

“You really don’t have a quirk? What about that wind or how you healed my injuries?”

“You can thank the raven for that.” Purple opened his mouth, but Akira beat him to it, “And no, before you ask, he’s his own entity. I really am quirkless.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m really not, but don’t worry about it. I’m sure somebody will hire me eventually.”

“Eventually?” Purple narrowed his eyes, “How many interviews have you had so far?”

“This would be my third one today,” Akira pretended to count on his fingers, “Six yesterday and eleven the day before that.”

The silence was so thick that Arsene could cut it with his bladed heels. Akira was about to walk past and head for Morgana’s hiding spot, but Purple was faster.

“Oh _hell_ no.”

“What-”

Purple grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the office, practically kicking the door open and marching them inside.

“Hitoshi! What do you think you’re doing?”

Huh, so that was his actual name.

Hitoshi let go of Akira’s arm with a dangerous scowl.

“You’re hiring him.”

Akira mirrored the same shocked confusion as the older man.

“What?”

“You heard me,” Hitoshi glowered, “The only reason you didn’t is that he’s quirkless, right?”

“Hitoshi, that’s not-”

“Is everything alright? I heard a loud noise.”

The woman from the front counter poked her head inside. Warm sleepy eyes were masked behind square rimmed glasses, her long violet hair was pulled back into an elegant braid. She was a slender woman, but there was an agile grace to her steps that shouldn’t be underestimated. Akira could see her family resemblance to Hitoshi, her copper name tag said her name was Risumi.

Hitoshi crossed his arms with a scowl, “Dad won’t hire him because he’s quirkless.”

“I’ve been trying to tell you that that’s not it.”

“Oh yeah? Then give me the real reason, then.”

“I….”

Akira tuned them out and glanced towards the open door. It wouldn’t take too much to sneak out and then run to the hills, but Risumi placed a steady hand on Akira’s shoulder.

“Boys please, you’re about to scare him off. There is a simple way to solve this, Ayumu.”

“Is there?” The man said with a long sigh.

“The lunch rush has already ended,” She nodded and gently grabbed Akira’s wrist, “So there are no other customers right now.”

They walked out into the hall with the other two at their heels.

The store front was warm and soothing in the same way a good book or a cup of hot chocolate was on a cold, rainy day. Plush booths and the aromas of caramel, sugar, and coffee added that extra touch of comfort. Bookshelves and other small trinkets lined the walls to add hints of color. There were a few small tables outside underneath the shade of an awning, too. 

Risumi whisked him behind the counter, laden with different coffee machines and housing a glass display full of decadent treats, then wagged a finger at him.

“Stay.” She commanded, and Akira didn’t have the nerve to disobey _that_ tone of voice.

Hitoshi snickered when she vanished into the kitchen, then came back out with a tray full of dishes. Three small cups and supplies for hand-poured coffee. She glanced at the other two, who stood on the opposite side of the counter curiously, then set everything down in front of him.

“You simply have to make us a cup of coffee,” She said as she motioned to the variety of machines around them, “Without using one of these. Anybody can use them to make a good cup, but it takes a certain skill to be able to create decent hand-poured coffee.”

Akira blinked, “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Arsene cackled, _“Checkmate!”_

Akira used every ounce of self-control not to grin, then he got to work. Ayumu scrutinized his every move, from the way he put the grounds in the filter to how he poured the gooseneck kettle, but the man had nothing on Sojiro’s stone-cold glares. It took less than ten minutes to fill the three cups with the rich coffee.

Risumi and Hitoshi had equally astonished looks as Akira set the steaming cups in front of them, he couldn’t help the tiny amount of smugness in his smile. Hitoshi swirled his cup thoughtfully, then took a sip.

“Woah!” Hitoshi’s jaw dropped, “This is the best coffee I’ve ever had!”

“It has such a depth of flavor and smoothness to it. I don’t believe one bit that you haven’t done this before.” Her tiny smile sent chills up everyone’s spines as she motioned to the third cup, “And you wanted to turn him away. Well, dear? You just have to taste it for yourself.”

Ayumu grumbled, but he swiped it and downed the whole thing in one go. His eyes flew wide open and he stared at Akira with an inscrutable expression.

“How did you learn to make it like this?”

“I had a good teacher,” Akira said with a shrug, “He also taught me to make curry from scratch, people have told me that it’s pretty good too.”

“You’re hired.” Hitoshi said with conviction.

“Now, now Hitoshi,” Risumi said with a triumphant smile of her own, “I think the boy would like to hear it from your father.”

“Fine.” He slowly set down the cup and scrubbed his face, “He’s hired, but I want to meet who trained him.”

Pain lurched in Akira’s heart, his confidence fading, “You wouldn’t be able to.”

“And why not?” He said with a raised brow.

Akira couldn’t meet their eyes and stared at the counter with a frown.

“He’s no longer around.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Risumi put a soft hand to his shoulder, “I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you.” He forced a smile, “I’ve had some time to process everything, so I’ll be okay.”

“Well, feel free to stay as long as you like. We can begin your training later today, or you could wait and come back tomorrow morning.”

“Can I start today?”

“Of course, dear.” Risumi nodded, then turned towards Ayumu with a frightening spark in her eye, “Hitoshi, be nice and keep our new member comfortable, I need to have a little chat with your father.”

The man visibly gulped. Akira experienced several levels of satisfaction when the man walked away as if he were heading for the gallows.

 _“Hah, serves him right!”_ Arsene hummed.

“So…” Akira turned back to Hitoshi, “I never really asked for your name since I was an idiot and asked for your quirk the other night instead.”

“Kurusu Akira.” He held out his hand, “Don’t worry about it, I kept calling you Purple in my head.”

“Purple, really? Well, it’s Shinsou Hitoshi.” He shook with a cheshire grin, “Those were my parents, by the way. Sorry about my dad, he’s a bit touchy when it comes to certain quirks. Or the quirkless, I guess.”

“I’ve faced much worse than simple prejudice before.” Hitoshi frowned, but Akira kept talking, “Anyways, shouldn’t you be at school?”

“Shouldn’t you?”

“I was homeschooled,” The lie slipped through so easily.

“Lucky.” Hitoshi scoffed, then looked up to a decorative clock ticking behind the counter, “I only stopped by for lunch, but it looks like I should head back soon. It’s a shame that they don’t have your coffee there.”

“You want another cup before you go?”

His eyes lit up like stars, “Please.” 


	15. Beneath The Mask - Rainy Version

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, the table was so morose it was as if he had just told them his parents were murdered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter before the Sports Festival! ;)

Another piece of awesome [FANART!!](https://twitter.com/Wrath_of_Nature/status/1269111774416007169)

~*~*~*~

“That’s the last of it.” Risumi said as she set the box down in the freezer, “Kurusu-kun, can you go flip the sign at the front to open?”

"Got it.”

Ayumu hardly glanced at Akira as he left the small kitchen and went to the front of the cafe. It was nostalgic to flip the happy little sign, though there was a pang of sadness that went along with it. A flash of lightning brightened the sky, with the telltale rumble of thunder crashing against the city moments later. Dark roiling clouds devoured the blue sky, the light pitter-patter of rain that started last night raged on into whipping torrents of water.

_“Yatagarasu, are you sure you’re up for this? It’s raining cats and dogs out there.”_

_“A little wind and water will not dampen my wings,”_ The bird skillfully leveled out just before a gust could knock him from the sky, _“My mission shall go on, no matter the weather.”_

Akira frowned. His personas were loyal to a fault, but maybe he could find some way to reward them for their hard work.

Morgana stayed at the Raven’s Nest today, he was upset that he couldn’t go out and scout around, but he had probably changed his tune by now. Akira sighed and was about to turn around, when a figure sprinted underneath the awning, holding her bag over her head in a frail attempt to keep herself from getting wet. It was the same girl that was with Midoriya when they ‘bumped’ into each other.

Well, it seems the fates were finally turning things in his favor for once.

“You want to come inside?”

The girl yelped and whirled around to him with wide eyes. He smiled as he held the door a bit wider.

“It’s better to wait in here than getting drenched, right?”

“I-I guess so?” She stepped inside and shivered, “I left earlier so I wouldn’t get rained on as much, but so much for that idea. Thanks for letting me in.”

Akira snorted as he went behind the counter, “Well, that is what the open sign usually means?”

“Oh.” She blinked at the sign, cheeks dusted with red, “R-right.”

She dove into the booth closest to the door, setting her waterlogged bag aside with a sigh.

“You should give her some hot chocolate.”

Akira jumped and looked over his shoulder. When did Risumi get here?

“What?”

“Go on,” She nudged him with her elbow, “I saw the way you were looking at her. Plus, she’s your first real customer, so this one will be on the house.”

“It’s not like that!”

“Of course it isn’t, dear.” She winked at him before fleeing to the safety of the kitchen.

He pushed up his glasses and got to work with a sigh. The scent of cocoa and cinnamon permeated the small space, warmth seeped into his hands as he brought the steaming mug to her table. She stared into the drink set in front of her, then glanced at him with wide eyes.

“But I didn’t order this?”

“Don’t worry about paying,” Akira smiled softly, “You’re actually the first person I’ve served myself, so this one’s on the house. I added a little bit of spice to it, too. I hope you like it.”

She gingerly picked it up, holding out her pinkies, and took a sip. Her eyes blew wide open and she gaped at him like a fish out of water.

“It’s really good! I never thought to add cinnamon to it!”

“You’re welcome,” He turned towards the counter, “Let me know if you want anything else.”

“Wait!”

Akira stopped and glanced at her with a raised brow. Her honey colored eyes studied his face for several seconds.

“Have we met somewhere before?” She asked with a tilt of her head, “You look familiar for some reason.”

Akira clutched his chin as he pretended to think, then snapped his fingers.

“Were you with that green-haired kid that plowed me over the other day?”

“Oh! I thought it was you!” She beamed, “Sorry about that, but I’m glad you got a job!”

“Thanks,” He swept a hand through his hair and threw on his best debonair smile, “Though I must’ve only gotten one because you wished me luck.”

She blinked several times. Her face slowly turned red and she swiped up her drink, downing the scalding hot chocolate in one gulp. The mug clattered on the table and she stood, eyes darting everywhere except in his general direction.

“W-well, look at the time!” She fanned her face, “I-I better get to class before I’m late!”

“Wait a moment before you go,” Akira just barely kept the smirk from his face as he went into the back room.

Hitoshi looked up from the couch as Akira grabbed his umbrella and went back out, the girl was standing by the door, face still a shade of pink. He held it out to her, but she only stared at it.

“Is that yours? I can’t take that, especially on a day like this!”

Another blinding flash and crack of thunder rumbled across the city without remorse. They looked outside as the rain beat against the windows, tracing trickling rivers in the glass.

“I insist,” He said, still smiling, “My shift will go on into the afternoon, so the weather should clear up by then. I don’t think your bag can take much more, either.”

She pointedly stared at her damp school bag, then sighed.

“I…” She held it with both hands and bowed her head, “I’ll bring it back after school today.”

Akira nodded, “I look forward to it.”

Her face turned red again, she turned on her heel and fled into the storm. Akira pushed up his glasses with a triumphant smile. He picked up the empty mug and went to wash it, Risumi peeked out of the kitchen and nodded her approval.

The ring of a bell signaled another customer taking shelter from the typhoon. It was a man with short hair and darker clothes, but his eyes were a startling blood red.

Risumi took over the register, “Akane-san! How have you been?”

“I’ve been better, it’s too cold outside for this time of year.” He said as he shook the rain from his hair, “This storm came out of nowhere though! I almost didn’t make it here before work.”

“Well, your usual should warm you up in no time.” Risumi glanced over her shoulder, “Kurusu-kun, can you make this fine gentleman a cappuccino with a dash of cinnamon, to go?”

Akira set the clean mug on the strainer and nodded. The man leaned over the counter and watched Akira work, then turned to Risumi with a bewildered expression.

“You were finally able to hire some help, eh?”

“Yes,” Risumi adjusted her glasses, “Now that the problem has finally been taken care of. The boy’s a natural, and Ayumu almost didn’t hire him over something petty.”

Akira pretended he couldn’t hear them as he finished Akane’s coffee, then handed it over.

“Thanks, kid.” Akane paid for his drink, “See you guys around.”

Akane turned and went out to brave the storm, with only the warmth of coffee to comfort him.

Akira glanced over at Risumi when he felt her eyes on him, she was smiling softly, her sleepy eyes held a warmth that he hadn’t experienced before. He blinked at her, then raised a curious brow.

“What?”

She chuckled and wiped some invisible dirt from her apron, “It’s nothing, dear.”

He was about to reply when the bell signaled more customers. 

A peaceful ambiance came over the cafe as they prepared orders, accompanied by rain and the occasional roll of thunder. Dishes clattered and the cafe was filled with quiet chatter, it was so similar to Leblanc that it was easy to fall into the work. The only thing missing was Sojiro’s curry. 

Hitoshi eventually dragged himself out of the back, uniform wrinkled and tie only half done. He carried a school bag in one hand and a vibrant pink umbrella in the other.

“Hitoshi!” Risumi said, scone and coffee in hand, “How many times do I have to remind you to iron your uniform? Or do your tie properly? Your father taught you for a reason.”

“Too many times, mom,” Hitoshi half shrugged, “I don’t get in trouble for it anyway, so why bother.”

Risumi sighed and shook her head, then went to deliver the goods to the customer’s table.

“You want some coffee before school?” Akira asked as Hitoshi leaned against the counter.

“Is that even a question?” Hitoshi looked him straight in the eye, “I’ll never say no to your coffee.”

“Coming right up, sir.”

Hitoshi snorted at the sarcasm as he sank into a nearby booth and dug out his phone, flicking through it as the aroma of fresh coffee grew stronger. With a confident nod, Akira took the cup and rounded the counter.

Hitoshi was too enamored on his phone to notice him, an all too familiar video played on the screen.

“What are you watching?”

Hitoshi cursed under his breath and glared at him, “Geez, would it kill you to make any noise when you walk? You remind me too much of my mom.”

“Actually,” Akira’s lips twitched as he set the cup down, “In some circumstances, yes.”

“I’ll pretend that was just a joke,” His eyes flicked to his mother, then back to Akira, “Do you know about that vigilante that’s been on the news? His name is Joker.”

“A little bit,” Akira kept a blank face, “What about him?”

Hitoshi stared down at the paused video. It showed Arsene’s fury just before he blew Eraserhead from the rooftop, Hitoshi took a slow sip on his coffee as an odd gleam entered his eyes, he seemed to mull over his thoughts.

“For the longest time, I’ve looked up to Eraserhead. He’s been my favorite hero ever since I was little,” Hitoshi pressed play, watching Arsene silently fling the hero off the building, “But no hero ever came when we needed it most.”

Akira’s heart sank. He had seen that hopelessness before, experienced those empty eyes and heavy shoulders as if he carried the weight of the world on them.

“What do you mean?” He asked softly.

“Well,” Hitoshi put his phone face down and took a sip, “Look at my mom.”

Akira furrowed his brows, but glanced over to her. She was smiling and laughing with a young woman as she handed over some hot chocolate and a cinnamon bun, she must’ve felt their eyes because she glanced over to them with a small wave.

“My mom is _smiling_. She wasn’t like that just a week ago.” Hitoshi curled his lip and glared into the table, “My dad actually laughed for the first time in months, and we’re not hurting for money anymore. We were about to close shop and move away because of that so-called ‘hero’, so when Joker released that video about Silver Falcon and the asshole finally got arrested…”

He looked into Akira’s widened eyes.

“Let’s just say that I have a new favorite.” Hitoshi shrugged and finished off his coffee, “Eraserhead’s still cool and I look up to him and everything, but he didn’t save us as Joker did.”

“Um...” Akira cleared his throat, “What would you say to Joker if he were standing right in front of you?”

“Are you kidding? I owe the guy a lot for saving us, a lot of other people too.” Hitoshi shoved his phone in his pocket and grabbed his stuff, “I’m sure mom and dad would give him a lifetime of free food. Anyway, I better head off before I’m late for school. Thanks for the coffee, see you later.”

Akira’s feet were frozen as Hitoshi went into the storm with his hot pink umbrella.

“Kurusu-kun!” Risumi called, “The customers won’t serve themselves!”

“Coming!” 

~*~*~*~

Morgana took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 _“Feel the air as if it were an extension of one’s self,”_ Mercurius whispered, _“You should be able to sense it just like the magic that flows through our veins. Use your breath as a medium.”_

He breathed in, then out.

With each new breath, he could sense them, feel a ghostly breeze against his fur as the winds raged outside. Every little eddy and gale, to the way the air moved when Kaito shifted in his usual spot in the other room. Or, no matter how quiet her steps were, how Aiba tried to creep up on him.

“I know you’re there.” Morgana opened his eyes as she reeled back in shock, “Did you need something?”

“How did…?” She blinked several times, then shook her head and huffed, “You know what, never mind. I’m not going to bother asking when I know you won’t tell me.”

Morgana sighed as she set a small stack of papers beside him.

“What are these?”

“Blueprints of U.A.’s main building,” She said as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot, “I just managed to dig them up from some old archives. I’m working on something else too, but I’ll keep it a surprise until the day of the Sports Festival.”

“Wait.” He said as she turned on her heel, “Why are you doing so much for us? You could just as easily wait this out until we can help you meet your hero. Why waste energy doing more?”

“Well,” Aiba put her hands to her hips and faced him fully, “ _Somebody_ has to make sure you boys don’t get caught! If you two get thrown in prison then I’ll have to go on my own, and I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet.”

She didn’t even wait for a response as she fled the room, the soft rush of air signifying that she closed the door to her cubicle. Morgana glanced at the blueprints. It would be better to wait until his partner came back from work before reviewing them, whenever that would be.

He shifted on his paws and curled his tail around himself, then closed his eyes and focused on his breathing.

~*~*~*~

The girls trudged back to their locker room, doused with sweat and sore muscles after hero training.

Ochako opened her locker but froze when she saw what was inside. Her hand hovered over the umbrella, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. 

“I still can’t believe he let me borrow it.” She whispered to herself, “And I didn’t even say thank you…”

_SLAM!_

“Do mine ears deceive me!?” Mina said as she practically lunged at Ochako, “Did I just hear you say that somebody let you borrow an umbrella!? Was it a cute boy!?”

“Mina-chan, let the poor girl breathe.” Yaomomo said with a patient smile.

“Oh! Sorry…”

“I-it’s not what it sounds like!” Ochako waived her hands, “Promise!”

“Then why is your face red, Ochako?” Tsuyu asked as she poked her cheek, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this embarrassed.”

“Yeah, spill the tea!” Mina said with a mad gleam in her eyes, “We need details, girl!”

“It’s really not what it looks like, not at all!”

Ochako ignored her pounding heart as she told the girls her story.

“If only all guys were nice like that.” Kyouka said as she twirled an ear jack in between her fingers, “Instead we get idiots like Kaminari and Mineta.”

“Yeah!” Toru waved her arms, “So? What’s his name?”

Ochako’s mind blanked.

Mina gasped, “You got his name, didn’t you? Didn’t you!?”

“Um….” Ochako scratched the back of her head, “No? I kind of forgot to ask?”

Mina clapped her hands together, took in a deep breath, and pointed her joined hands at Ochako.

“Girl, we’re getting his name.”

“Well, I wanted to return his umbrella after school today. He said he would still be on his shift.”

“Perfect!” Mina said with a mischievous grin, “I’m tagging along!”

“But-!”

“I want to come too, kero.”

“Not you too, Tsu-chan!”

“Oh! We should bring some of the boys too!” Mina said, “It would be too obvious if it was just us, so I’ll invite Kiri!”

“What would be too obvious…?” Ochako shook her head, “Never mind. Actually, I think Deku-kun would want to know his name too, since he knocked him over when we met the first time.”

“This was the second time you met him!?” Mina screeched as she pulled on her horns, “That’s it, I am now declaring this as an emergency!”

“I’m honestly starting to feel sorry for him.” Kyouka said with a small smirk.

“Please don’t cause this boy too much trouble,” Yaomomo said as she pinned Mina with furrowed brows, “Especially you, Mina.”

“What are you talking about!? I’m a perfect angel!”

Toru giggled, “Of course you are.”

Ochako turned back to her locker with a long sigh, “We’re _just_ learning his name, nothing more. Okay?”

“Aw, come on!” Mina said, “Where’s the fun in that?”

“We’re going to be heroes one day, so dating anybody is off the table.”

Mina and Tsuyu exchanged glances as the other girls frowned.

Ochako ignored them as she packed away her things. Besides, that boy was charming and all, but he was forgotten whenever she thought of a certain green-haired classmate.

~*~*~*~

Time flew by as he and Risumi worked the front of the cafe. Ayumu mostly stayed in the kitchen, filling the whole place with scents of sugary warmth, any treats he made practically flew off of the shelves in record time. This place was busier than Leblanc, but the Blue Lotus Cafe had just as much love and hard work put into it.

“Kurusu-kun,” Risumi handed him a small cup of tea on a plate, “I want you to give this to Haru-san, the older lady in that booth over there. She’s been a regular for quite some time, and I know she would want to meet you.”

Akira nodded as his heart sank through the floor. Of course, there would be other people with names like Haru or Makoto, but hearing his friend’s name for the first time was like swallowing ice, he stilled his shaky hands as he went to her table.

Haru had a kind, wrinkly face framed with long black hair, an occasional strand of silver broke through like starlight. Her eyes shone with sunny warmth as he set down the cup in front of her. 

“Oh, thank you, dear. I heard that Risumi and Ayumu were able to hire some help since the whole Silver Falcon ordeal. What’s your name, son?”

He smiled as he adjusted his glasses, “Kurusu Akira.”

“Well, Kurusu-kun,” She slowly sipped on her drink and sighed in contentment, “I hope you’ll stay for a while. It’s been some time since this place was so bright.”

Akira furrowed his brow, “What do you mean?”

“My quirk lets me see the general emotions of the atmosphere around me.” She traced the rim of her cup thoughtfully, “Just last week, and for so many months before that, there was pain and sadness. The owners and their sweet boy were suffering and I didn’t know what I could do to fix it, but everything changed when somebody brought that horrible man’s crimes into the light. Do you know what I think, Kurusu-kun?”

Akira blinked and tilted his head.

“I think that the vigilante saved more than just their cafe,” She pointed towards his chest, “I think he rescued their hearts too, gave them hope. Anybody can run a cafe or a store, but it takes that little bit of something else to make it extra special.”

Akira glanced over to the front counter. Ayumu was stocking the glass display full of glistening treats, Risumi leaned against the counter, whispering to him. A genuine smile crossed the man’s lips as he unloaded the last of the goods, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then dove back into the kitchen. Risumi stared at the swinging doors, blushing and smiling sweetly.

“You see?” She said, drawing his attention back to her, “They haven’t been that happy in ages.”

“Well, then I’m glad Joker was able to save them.”

“Same here, kiddo. I hope somebody is able to save you from your pain, too.” He stiffened, but she gave him a warm smile, “But this old lady has gabbed your ear off long enough and I’m sure you have other things to do. It was nice to meet you, Kurusu-kun.”

“It… was nice meeting you too, Haru-san.”

Akira bowed his head and went behind the counter just as the door’s little bell rang, a small group of familiar teens walked in. Well, mostly familiar. He didn’t recognize the girl with wild pink hair and skin, her eyes were like pools of ink with blazing gold suns.

 _“Much like your eye color when you use us in our full power, Trickster.”_ Arsene whispered, _“Minus all the black, of course.”_

The girl from this morning met eyes and sheepishly waved at him, Midoriya simply beamed as he recognized Akira. Pink grinned like there was no tomorrow and was the first to march right up to the counter, with her friends going over to a booth. Akira threw on his best unassuming smile as she dug a list out of her pocket.

“Hi!” Pink said with a grin, “I’ll take a latte please! My friends already made a list for their orders, if that’s okay?”

“Of course,” Akira said as she handed him the paper, “Is this all on one ticket?”

“It sure is! We all pooled some cash together for it.”

Then, with a sly wink, she turned on her heel and went to sit with her friends.

“Do you know them?” Risumi asked as he handed her the list, “That one girl tagged along, too.”

Akira shrugged as they worked the machines, “I’ve bumped into a few of them once, but it was mostly by accident.”

Within minutes a small tray was loaded with drinks, Akira snatched up a brownie and blueberry muffin from the glass display, then carried it over to their table.

“Ooh, that brownie looks delicious, Kiri!” Pink said as she grabbed her latte.

Kirishima sipped his black coffee and took a massive bite from his brownie, his smile held all of the warmth of the summer sun.

“Because it _is_ really delicious!” He said, beaming.

“This blueberry muffin looks good too,” Asui said, grabbing the treat and the iced coffee, “I’ll share if anybody else wants a bite, kero.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to take yours, Tsu-chan!” Midoriya said, grasping his decaf with both hands, “Uraraka, aren’t you going to take yours?”

“R-right!” Uraraka didn’t look him in the eye as she grabbed her cup of hot chocolate.

“If there’s anything else you need,” Akira said with a soft smile, “Then you only have to ask.”

“Hold up!” Pink said, throwing her arm around Uraraka, “My girl here has something of yours.”

“Mina!” Uraraka cried, but she dug around in her bag and held out his umbrella, “Thanks for letting me use it.”

“Don’t mention it.” Akira grabbed it, then looked outside, “It seems the rain did clear up, somewhat.”

It was still drizzling, but it was nowhere near the rampant typhoon from this morning.

“What’s your name, by the way?” Ashido said as she propped her chin on her hand, “Just so I don’t have to say ‘hey, you!’, you know?”

Uraraka stared into her hot chocolate as if it held the secrets of the universe.

“Kurusu Akira.” He said, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise! I’m Ashido Mina, this here is Uraraka Ochako!”

Uraraka waved at him bashfully.

“Kirishima Eijiro!” The red head said, mouth dusted with brownie crumbs, “These brownies are amazing, by the way!”

“Asui Tsuyu,” She said as she glanced at him, “But my friends just call me Tsu-chan.”

“I-I’m Midoriya Izuku! I wanted to apologize again since I knocked you over.”

“It’s nice to put names to faces. Don’t worry about what happened the other day, Midoriya.” Akira said as he was about to step away, “Anyways, just holler if you need anything else.”

“Wait.”

Akira stopped as Asui peered into him, scanning him from head to toe. He blinked and curiously tilted his head, before she finally spoke.

“Have we met before?” She said, “I don’t know why, but I feel like I know you somehow.”

“Oh, you too Tsu-chan!?” Kirishima said, “I got that feeling too when you came to our table!”

“Really?” Uraraka said with a raised brow, “I didn’t feel anything like that.”

“Same!” Ashido said.

“A-actually,” Midoriya smiled at him, “I kind of got that feeling a-after I bumped into you. Do you have some sort of deja vu quirk?”

“A deja vu quirk?” Ashido said, gaping, “That sounds awesome, but how come Ochako and I don’t feel anything?”

“W-well,” Midoriya’s eyes gained a feverish spark, “There could be certain parameter for it to activate? Or if it’s a quirk that can’t be turned off, then it could just choose random people or maybe we look somewhat similar to other people he knows already? Oh, what’s it’s range? Can you affect a bigger group of people at once? Or only a few at a time?”

“Mido-chan,” Asui shifted in her seat and placed a hand on his shoulder, “I think you went a bit overboard with questions.”

“R-right! Sorry, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Actually,” Akira pushed up his glasses, his expression carefully neutral, “I’m quirkless.”

Silence overtook the table. They stared at him with a variety of shock or surprise. Midoriya sat ramrod straight, his eyes wider than the rest, but there was a deep sadness to his emerald eyes. And maybe a hint of understanding?

“Dude…” Kirishima said with a frown, “I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry?” Akira blinked at him, “Sorry for what?”

“Er… well, it’s just….”He scrambled for an answer, but his voice died in his throat.

“Is that why you had more than one interview the other day?” Uraraka asked softly.

“Yeah.” Akira stared down at his shoes, “People don’t tend to hire if you’re quirkless, so I had a lot of trouble getting a job until I got to this place.”

Midoriya gaped at him while the others exchanged glances. Honestly, the table was so morose it was as if he had just told them his parents were murdered.

“But,” He stared right into their eyes as confidence radiated from him, “I’ve never let a lack of a quirk put me down in life. I’ll draw on my own strengths and show people what I’m made of, reveal to them that I can do anything I put my mind to no matter how powerless I felt, even if I have to claw my way there.”

Their faces dropped in awe.

It _technically_ wasn’t a lie, since quirks didn’t exist for him until recently. Last night he and Morgana studied up on the quirkless and how they were treated. There was a staggering high number of unemployed quirkless people or kids that didn’t make it past the age of 18, but society didn’t seem to care. The quirkless were treated as second class citizens or worse. At the same time they were ignored or just faded into the background, so all the better for himself and Morgana.

“Bro,” Kirishima had tears in his eyes, “That’s so manly!”

“That’s not just manly, that’s badass!” Ashido said as she threw her hands up in the air, “Don’t ever let them drag you down, Kurusu-kun!”

“Deku-kun, are you okay?” Uraraka said, brows furrowed, “Why are you crying?”

“I’m fine!” He grabbed a wad of napkins and wiped his eyes, but the tears flowed like waterfalls, “I-I don’t know what’s come over me?”

“Kurusu-kun’s speech was epic, that’s why!” Ashido said as she slapped him on the shoulder, “Even I’m feeling pumped up from it!”

Midoriya sniffled and nodded, finally ebbing his waterworks with a few more napkins.

“Can I ask why you are working, instead of going to school?” Asui said as she poked her cheek, “If you don’t mind me wondering, of course.”

“I was home schooled because of the bullying, so I already completed all of my classes not too long ago. I just moved here recently so I could try and find a job.”

“So there would be no way that we’ve met before?” She said.

“Afraid not.” He lied right through his easy smile, “Anyways, it really was nice meeting you all, but I better get back to work before Shinsou-san gets cross with me.”

“Wait! Can I have another brownie?” Kirishima asked, his eyes wide like a puppy, “Please?”

“Ooh, I want to try one too!” Ashido shouted.

“M-me too?” Uraraka said.

“We might as well all try one,” Asui said with a smile, “Right, Mido-chan?”

“R-right!”

“Of course,” Akira chuckled, “Coming right up.”

He swiftly went into the back to deposit the umbrella, got more brownies for the U.A. kids, and then checked on Haru-san and a few other customers. He went behind the counter as Risumi gave him an approving nod.

“You’re a natural at this, Kurusu-kun.”

“I’ve had plenty of practice,” He said as he approached the sink to wash dishes, “Boss made sure I knew how to run things in case he had to step out for a bit.”

Risumi hummed sadly, “Well, I’m really grateful for your hard work. We usually take any leftovers upstairs after we close, but feel free to take anything that catches your eye, alright? There’s no way I’m going to let you go hungry.”

“Thanks.”

He’d make sure to grab extra for the others too, they would probably appreciate it.

“By the way, where’s Hitoshi? I figure he’d be back by now.”

Risumi paused, blinking at him in surprise, “On a first name basis already?”

“Maybe,” He sheepishly grinned, “I think it’s better than just asking where Shinsou is.”

“Touche, there are three of us here after all,” She adjusted her glasses and looked to the ceiling, “He comes in through the back after school. Our apartment is above the cafe and Ayumu mentioned that he came in already, so he’s probably doing homework in his room.”

Akira nodded and got back to work.

He went to clean the U.A. kids’ table as they left, frowning. They left a few hundred more yen than what they owed. Did they leave him a tip? People didn’t tip back home. As he stood there, stupefied, the little bell rang and somebody tapped him on his shoulder. He looked over to Midoriya, who was tugging the edge of his sleeve. 

“Um…” He bowed his head and held out a tiny piece of paper, “Here.”

Akira turned fully towards him, “What’s this?”

“My phone number.” He said, face crestfallen as Akira took it, “I…. my quirk only came in recently, so I grew up quirkless. I _understand_ what you’ve been through, so I’m here to listen if you ever wanted to have someone to talk with! I-if you wanted to.”

Akira smiled as he dug out his new (hyper encrypted thanks to Aiba) phone from his pocket, and Midoriya blinked curiously as his pinged with a message, it was a gif of a cartoon cat drinking coffee.

“Thanks, Midoriya.” Akira said with a warm smile, “You can share my number with the others too, if they ask. It might be nice actually having friends here.”

Not that they would ever be able to replace _his_ friends. The other U.A. kids waited outside. Ashido had her arm over Uraraka’s shoulders, whispering something that made her go beet red. Asui patted her shoulder as Kirishima bellowed with laughter.

“Yeah!” Midoriya said, his expression brightening, “We’ll see you later!”

“See you.”

Akira smiled when Midoriya left, Ashido and Kirishima turned back towards him and waved their arms wildly before they vanished down the street. He finished cleaning the table and brought the payment to Risumi.

“Do you not want your tip?” She narrowed her eyes at his blatant confusion, “You’ve never gotten a tip before, have you?”

“No, not many people did that where I’m from.”

“Well, there’s a first for everything, Kurusu-kun.” Risumi snorted, pushing the spare bills and a few extra coins from the till into his hand, “Don’t go wild and spend it all in one place now.”

He grinned, “I won’t, promise.”

The next few hours passed peacefully and his shift came to an end. Risumi playfully shooed him away well before the actual closing time, but he got first choice of the delectable snacks to take back to the Raven’s Nest.

“See you tomorrow, Kurusu-kun!”

“Yeah, tell Hitoshi I said hi?”

“Will do,” She nodded firmly, “Since he didn’t come down to do it himself.”

Akira walked out of the Blue Lotus Cafe with a paper bag full of goodies.

The clouds had finally broke, allowing a curtain of god rays to peek through. Any little puddle was alight with the sunset’s soft golden glow, the air was crisp and clean. Akira stopped and looked over his shoulder.

The sun made the glass U.A. building look like it was on fire, a familiar smudge on the horizon banked towards him, wings still glistening with rainwater.

 _“I’m sure you’re tired after today,”_ He said, _“You want to go back?”_

Now he knows how Morgana felt.

 _“Me, tired? Ha, I laugh in the face of fatigue!”_ Yatagarasu flew in a circle high over him, _“Although, I wouldn’t mind seeing everyone else...”_

Akira snorted as the bird vanished into cinders. A myriad of voices welcomed Yatagarasu back to his mind space, but he didn’t pay any mind to them.

Two days. The Sports Festival was only _two days_ away. They were as prepared as they could be, given the circumstances, but officially making contact with Midoriya and his friends was just the icing on the cake. Morgana would be happy about it.

He turned his back on U.A. as he headed home. Curiosity and hunger got the better of him, so he opened the small paper bag and dug out one of the brownies. He froze in his tracks after he took the first bite, eyes blown wide.

Damn, this really _was_ a good brownie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Deku, I feel as if he should've heard those words instead of what All Might said to him on that rooftop.


	16. Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the Sports Festival begin!

More AWESOME pieces of [FAN](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24632884) [ART!!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703387)

And [another!!!](https://mobile.twitter.com/aamarisarts/status/1271916227125030912)

It warms my heart like no other to see people create art inspired by this story, and there are no words to describe how amazing you guys are!

~*~*~*~

“What do you think a Stealthanol would do in this world?”

“I have no idea, it just hid our presence from shadows in the Metaverse.” Morgana said as Joker tucked items into his costume pockets, “We already know that Beads are stronger than they were in our world, so it’s possible that any one of these items could be more powerful too. We should find time to properly test everything out after the Sports Festival is done and over with.”

“Agreed.”

Joker pocketed the Beads, the Stealthanol and a few Vanish Balls, a couple of Soul Drops, and a Snuff Soul just to be safe. The Eternal Lockpick was safely deposited within his sleeve. Joker held a Soma in between his fingers. Like his Crystal Skull, the little marble was created from an unknown material. It looked like a pure glass ball, but the way the rainbow of colors swirled around inside told a different story. They only had a few of these, so selling them was off the table. He shrugged and put it with the rest of his Beads.

“I think that should do.”

Joker’s costume vanished, Akira looked down on himself as the blue embers faded. The items were nowhere to be found. Disappeared into the unknown abyss, just like his thieving outfit.

“That’s pretty convenient.” Morgana said as Akira tucked the bag underneath the desk, “We should eliminate the evidence bag altogether.”

“I’ll reorganize our inventory when we get back.” Akira nodded, then opened the new bag he bought yesterday, “Are you ready to travel the old fashioned way?”

Morgana snorted. This bag was identical to the one back home, there was plenty of room for Morgana to hunker down in comfort. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

“Are you two done yet?” Aiba said, “The Sports Festival will start soon!”

Akira partially zipped the bag, leaving enough of a gap so Morgana could get some air, then opened the door. Aiba stared up at him, tapping her foot.

“We were just about to leave.” Akira said as he walked into the lounge with Aiba at his heels, “You do remember what the code phrase is, right?”

“Of course I do! How could I ever forget?” She huffed as she dug around in her pockets, “Here.”

Akira raised a brow at the little flash drive, “What’s this?”

“The little surprise I’ve been working on. I thought that if you’re going to go through their paper files, that we should get their digital ones as well. You just plug it into any computer and it’ll bypass any password and download any additional information. Just…” She grasped the end of his sleeve and bit her lip, “Just be careful, okay? I don’t want anything to happen to you guys.”

Akira chuckled and patted her head, “We will, you don’t need to worry so much.”

“Worried?” Her cheeks turned red as she turned away from them and crossed her arms, “Who said I was worried? I’m not scared in the slightest!”

“Of course not,” Akira said, grinning, “We’ll see you later.”

Aiba said nothing as they went into the front. Kaito’s eyes were locked on his phone, but he glanced up at the sound of Akira’s footsteps.

“I’ll be watching the Sports Festival from here,” He said as he leaned back in his chair, “Go and have fun, but please don’t do anything that would get you thrown in prison?”

Morgana chuckled, Akira hesitated by the door, his hand just over the handle when he turned towards Kaito with a smirk.

“Don’t worry, they’ll never know that we were there.”

“I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.” Kaito huffed, blowing a few strands of silvery hair from his face, “Good luck.”

Akira nodded and they stepped out. Unlike the past few days the air was clear and blue and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. The streets were filled with shifting bodies all headed in one direction, charged with laughter and contagious joy.

They snuck into an alleyway and traipsed through the trash infested space. Akira looked over his shoulder to make sure they were alone, nobody else was around to witness the quick flash of cerulean fire.

“It is time, Trickster?” Yatagarasu said as he shuffled his wings.

“Yup. You know what to do?”

“Indeed! It is my duty to fly over and memorize the enemy patrols and find a weak point, so you can pass through when they least expect it.”

“Exactly.” Yatagarasu spread his wings and was about to leap from his arm, “Wait a moment.”

The mythical bird stopped, tilting his head as he stared at Akira. He tucked his wings back into his side and faced him.

“What is it, Trickster?”

Morgana popped his head out of the bag and watched on in silence. Akira sighed and pushed up his glasses, then met Yatagarasu’s inky black eyes head-on.

“You’ve done a lot already, Yatagarasu. You and everyone else.”

“It is my pleasure to serve you.” Yatagarasu warbled and stood just a little straighter, “And I know that the others would say the same.”

 _“We would, without a shred of doubt.”_ Arsene said, to which the bird nodded.

“Is there anything you want, Yatagarasu? We wouldn’t be able to pull this off without you, so I think you deserve something for your hard work.”

“You…” The bird stiffened, “The Trickster wants to give a reward? There is no greater prize than your appreciation.”

Akira snorted, his lips turned in a warm smile, “Just humor me?”

“I…” Yatagarasu looked to the ground, Akira swore he saw budding tears as the bird cleared his throat, “I would not object to visiting the ocean again. I enjoy soaring in the salty breeze, as it brings back so many treasured memories.”

“Alright, we’ll see about going to the beach sometime soon.”

Akira felt a rush of warmth in his heart that wasn’t his own.

“I have no words to express your kind gesture, Trickster.” Yatagarasu turned and flared his tail feathers, “Now, onward towards our mission!”

Without another word, he launched himself into the air and disappeared over the rooftops. Morgana pulled himself from the bag and rested his front paws on Akira’s shoulder, he looked at his partner with a proud spark in his eye.

“That was really nice of you to do.”

Akira chuckled as Morgana rubbed against his hair, “It’s only fair. They all deserve _something_ for their loyalty. So if there’s anything you guys want, just ask.”

 _“Your compassion will not be forgotten, Joker.”_ Arsene tipped his hat, _“As long as everyone’s requests aren’t too outlandish or will do anything to harm others. Got it?”_

A ripple of excitement cascaded across his mindscape, peppered with whispers and cheers alike. Akira had an honest smile on his face as they finally left the alleyway, Morgana dove back into the bag before they blended into the crowd like water through a bamboo forest. It took less than twenty minutes to reach the imposing gate, it was easy to follow the pops and booms of daytime fireworks and rain of confetti floating on the breeze.

There was a line of students manning tables before they could officially enter the school grounds, Akira handed over his ticket to a short blonde girl. Her golden eyes scanned through his ticket with lightning-fast efficiency, then with a nod, she stamped it and handed it back.

Akira blinked several times.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” The girl shoved the ticket in his hand and waved him off, “Go in already! You’re holding up the line!”

“S-sorry!”

Akira ducked his head and went inside, heart pounding as he crossed the threshold into the school. He took one step, then another. Nobody moved in to attack or arrest him. At any moment he expected heroes to whirl around and charge at him, for alarms and shrill police sirens to wail through the air.

There was nothing.

A knot in his chest unfurled and he released the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Was it really that easy?” He whispered, brows furrowed as he looked at the ticket in his hand, “Is this what they call upgraded security?”

He took a few more wary steps, keeping an eye on the parade of heroes sprinkled throughout the crowd. It was one thing to imagine it from Yatagarasu’s perspective, but it was a whole other ordeal to actually _be_ here. The grounds stretched out before them for miles, three stadiums larger than the Roman Coliseum jutted up into the sky, as impressive as they were imposing. Posters and streaming banners hung from various stands, the hiss and sizzle of freshly cooked festival food made his mouth water.

His bag shuffled as Morgana peeked out.

“Maybe they have too much faith in their- ngh!”

“Morgana? What’s wrong?”

Akira slipped in between the food stands, pretending to read the colorful flyers posted there. Morgana poked his head out, eyes wide and nose twitching.

“I don’t know, I suddenly felt something.” Morgana blinked owlishly and scanned their surroundings, “It’s almost that same feeling when I sense a Treasure in a Palace, but this one is so fuzzy and distorted that I can’t sense the exact location. It just feels off, like it’s behind a barrier or something.”

“Could there really be a Treasure here?” Akira asked as he furrowed his brows, “This place can’t be a Palace though, since we don’t have access to the Metaverse. How is this possible?”

“I’m not sure.” Morgana shook his head, “But let’s keep our guard up, I’ll let you know if I sense anything else.”

Morgana ducked back into the bag, but that didn’t stop the butterflies fluttering in Akira’s stomach as he stepped out into the daylight. He tucked his ticket away and followed the stream of people to the food stands.

“Oh, come on! Can’t you add in a few more, for free?”

Akira glanced over to a few heroes. A woman with long blonde hair and a skin-tight bodysuit was batting her eyes to a takoyaki vendor, her fingers idly twirling through her locks.

“Mount Lady!” Kamui Woods chopped the back of her head, “We heroes are scrutinized enough since you-know-what, so do your part and pay him properly!”

“Oww! I would share with you, Kamui!” She wobbled her bottom lip and swayed her hips, “It won’t hurt anything to get some free takoyaki for my services as a hero! Besides, this nice gentleman likes me, right? ”

The vendor turned bright red and nodded frantically. Kamui Woods facepalmed, then shook his head with a weary sigh as the goods were handed over, free of charge. Kamui slipped the vendor some money when Mount Lady wasn’t looking.

Akira stopped as the heroes walked away with the food. The takoyaki _did_ smell heavenly. Who knows how long they would have to wait until Phase Two, so a snack or two wouldn’t hurt. He waited in line and shamelessly walked away with two orders of takoyaki.

“Hey, can I get some of those?” Morgana whispered, “I’m dying of hunger in here!”

Akira smirked, “We’ll eat when we get seated, wherever that would be.”

Thankfully, there were vibrant signs and pointers all over the place, so they arrived at the Class 1 stadium without too much trouble. He was shoulder to shoulder as the crowd flowed inside, he ignored the occasional bump and push, it was reminiscent of the packed Tokyo subways. People splintered off into different hallways and climbed sets of stairs, he chose a random exit and stepped out into the coliseum.

The roar of the crowd was _deafening_ and the events haven’t started yet.

“Look at how filled out this place is,” Morgana gaped as he peeked out, “There are _thousands_ of people here!”

“Let’s just try and find a seat-”

There was a sudden sweltering heat behind them. He was thrown off-kilter as somebody knocked into him, he managed to catch his balance before their food could spill all over the ground.

“Hey!”

Akira glared up to a tower of a muscle in a blue suit, swirling crimson flames burst from his shoulders and clung to his face like a mask. The flamestache was utterly ridiculous, but the way the number two’s turquoise eyes pierced through him like he was an insect made his teeth itch. Akira scowled and stared him in the eye, to which the hero scoffed. 

“Watch where you’re going, _boy_.”

Endeavor stomped away without so much as an apology.

“You’re the one who bumped into me, jerk.” Akira said under his breath. 

“Forget about him, Akira!” Morgana said, “Let’s just find a seat so we can eat and enjoy the show.”

Akira grumbled but turned away to find somewhere to sit. It took a while for him to shoulder through the mass of people and find an open seat, right in the center of a crowd of heroes. He sank into the chair with a sigh, putting his bag and the takoyaki on his lap, conversations from the nearby heroes drifted into their ears.

“I wonder how these kids will carry themselves,” One woman said, donned in a hooded blue cloak that shadowed her face, “The weight of the future rests on their shoulders.”

“With how everything between Silver Falcon and Joker went down?” Another hero in a red suit said, waving his hand, “They better be at their best behavior, a lot of people will judge them no matter what they do. I don’t care as long as it’s a good show.”

Another hero sitting a row in front of them turned around. She had long green hair spilling from an orange bandanna, her face covered by a gas mask decorated with smiley faces.

“You have to remember that these are children _,_ ” She said, loud enough for everyone in earshot, “They will make mistakes, but there is enough time to set them straight! What they accomplish today is just the start of their journey to be heroes.”

“Aren’t you biased because you’re a teacher, Mrs. Joke?” Red Suit said with a raised brow.

“It is precisely _because_ I’m a teacher that I know they still have the ability to grow and learn as people.” She crossed her arms and firmly nodded, “The bar is set high because of what happened recently, but you better watch on as these kids beat the odds outta the park!”

Red Suit and Purple Cloak exchanged glances as the whispers of surrounding heroes spread through the stands.

“Hey, kid.” Akira stiffened as Mrs. Joke stared right at him, “You look to be their age, what do you think of this whole thing?”

“I…” He cleared his throat as many curious eyes pinned him to the spot, “I think you’re right. Silver Falcon was a bad hero, but that doesn’t mean we should compare these students to a man that should’ve known better. I’m betting they already feel the pressure from society, and will do everything in their power to prove that they’ll be the best heroes that they can be.”

Mrs. Joke’s eyes gleamed with pride. Others nodded in agreement, but there were a few heroes with furrowed brows or crossed arms.

“Well, whatever the case,” Purple Cloak said as she leaned back in her chair, “We’ll see what mettle makes them.”

“Shh! It’s about to start!”

The loudspeakers hummed to life and the screens snapped on with a familiar hero.

 _“Heeey listeners!”_ The crowd roared as Present Mic waved his arms, _“Make some noise and get those cameras prepped! This year’s Sports Festival will be one of the most intense, guaranteed! I’ve only got one question before we start this show, ARE YOU READY!?”_

The audience’s response was louder than a thunder strike, it was no wonder that everybody within a five-mile radius heard them.

_“And of course, you can’t forget my co-host, my partner in crime and best friend! Eraserhead!!”_

_“Remind me why I decided to volunteer for this.”_

_“Because you love me!!”_

_“I do not-”_

_“ANYWAYS! Let’s get this show on the road! You all know them as the class that beat back those nasty villains all by themselves, the survivors and fighters of the USJ!! These kids carry the weight of the future on their shoulders! Claaaaaass 1-A!!”_

Morgana peeked out as the 1-A kids walked into the arena. Akira looked up to the screens as they zoomed in for a closer look, he recognized Midoriya and the others, their faces pale and shaky from their own nerves. But there was resolve in their eyes. They were more than ready for this.

_“Now, they don’t get as much credit, but they work just as hard as their sister class! Everyone put their hands together for Class 1-B!!”_

“There’s more than one hero class?” Morgana whispered.

“I guess so.”

Akira popped one of the takoyaki in his mouth, then rolled his eyes and gave one to Morgana when he stared him in the eye and licked his chops. If more food was mysteriously devoured by his bag, the surrounding heroes were too busy to notice.

_“We can’t forget the General Education classes of C, D, and E!!”_

The camera panned over a familiar face.

“Huh, I didn’t know he was in 1-C.”

“Who?” Morgana asked.

“That kid we saved that one night. He’s also the kid of the couple who runs the Blue Lotus Cafe, his name is Shinsou Hitoshi.”

Morgana hummed as Akira tossed him another takoyaki.

“I wonder how he’ll do,” Akira said, “He seems jealous of the hero courses for some reason.”

“Do you know his quirk?”

“No, he never mentioned it to me.” Akira frowned as he looked down at Hitoshi, “I wonder if those bullies targeted him for it? It’s not just the quirkless that get beat down.”

“Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.” Morgana hunkered down in the bag, “He’ll have to use it sometime if he wants to make it through.”

 _“Next up is our Support Classes of F, G, and H! They are followed by, last but in no means least, the Business Classes I, J, and K!!”_ The cheering turned into catcalls when another hero walked out into the arena, waving a cat-o-nine-tails, _“Now that all the classes are here, take it away, Midnight!!”_

Midnight cracked her whip, the sound was just as nostalgic as it was painful. Akira wondered how Ann would react to Midnight or Mount Lady.

_“Before we begin, our top student must swear the athlete’s oath! Come on stage, Bakugo Katsuki!”_

The wild blonde kid was jeered by his classmates as he stomped on stage with a scowl on his face. The mic screeched as he slowly leaned into it and took a breath.

 _“I pledge…”_ The crowd held their breath, _“That I’ll be number one.”_

A moment of silence, then his classmates broke out in outrage.

_“Oh, shut up, you extras! The least you can do is lay down and be my stepping stones!”_

“How hero like.” Red Suit’s voice was laced in sarcasm, “I can’t really see him being popular with that attitude.”

“Look at how he carries himself,” Another said, “What an arrogant child.”

Bakugo preened like a show rooster as he marched from the stage, the rest of his classmates bore scowls and their eyes cried out for blood. The 1-A students inched back from him, but one in particular wildly chopped his arms and berated him.

“Huh, I have a feeling he would get along with Ryuji.”

Akira furrowed his brow and looked at Morgana, “You really think so?”

“Yup! This Bakugo kid seems just as stubborn and bull-headed, but he’s smart enough to stand at the top of the class.”

Akira said nothing as Midnight spun a wheel and the students prepared for their first event, some sort of obstacle course that trailed around the arena. An ominous countdown flickered on the screen, Midnight cracked her whip just as it reached zero, jolting the students into action. Ice exploded in a glittering cascade, locking a majority of the poor kids in a crypt of diamonds.

_“Ooooh, as expected of Todoroki! The ice has entrapped a good number of competitors, but it looks like most of Class 1-A anticipated his move, followed closely by a team from Class 1-B! Can Todoroki keep his first place spot!?”_

Akira and Morgana watched on, mouths agape, as robots larger than a building rose to fight the students.

“Those robots are going to fall,” A woman in dark plated armor leaned forward, hands clasped together, “I should have predicted that the son of Endeavor to do anything it takes to earn first place.”

“What did you expect?”One of her companions scoffed, “Endeavor has always wanted to be the number one hero, so I’m not surprised his kid would resort to taking out some of the competition early.”

Akira tuned them out. Many of class 1-A and 1-B overcame the tumbling frozen robots and surpass the bottomless chasm. He kept an eye on Hitoshi as he crossed, determination and sweat plastered on his face. Bursts of purple smoke blinded some cameras as they reached the third and final obstacle, a minefield. 

_“Master! Look at the green-haired child!!”_ Cerberus suddenly roared.

One of the cameras showed Midoriya digging in the minefield with a slab of metal.

“What do you think he’s doing?” Morgana asked.

Akira leaned back in his seat with a grin, “Oh, you’ll see.”

Morgana popped his head out to watch as Midoriya literally exploded himself across the field.

 _“Ahhh! Midoriya of Class 1-A just blasted himself into first place!”_ Present Mic cried, _“Can Bakugo and Todoroki overtake him before its too late!?”_

Midoriya flung himself past the finish line with a rain of confetti and fireworks.

_“MIDORIYA EARNS FIRST PLACE!! I can’t believe he pulled a fast one like that without using his quirk!”_

_“He proved that you can use your brain over any quirk,”_ Eraserhead muttered over the microphone, _“People put way too much stock in quirks, so most of the time their critical thinking skills end up lacking.”_

_“Are you just saying that because of your quirk, Eraserhead?”_

_“Maybe. My quirk just evens the playing field, so I have to use a lot of strategy and martial arts when it comes to my work.”_

“At least some people don’t stake everything in their powers.” Morgana said with a nod, “It’s too bad he’s not on our side.”

Akira snorted.

Midoriya bawled his eyes out as others poured into the arena. Akira felt a sense of pride take over his heart. Was it bad to feel that way towards somebody you barely knew? Akira couldn’t resist digging out his phone to snap a picture of the memory, then sent Midoriya a quick congratulatory text before the next event started.

 _“Everyone in the top 42 goes on to the next event! For those that didn’t make, don’t worry! We’ll have other games where you can shine!”_ Midnight licked her lips and grinned, _“ The next event will be based on points, starting at five points from 42_ _nd_ _, ten at 41_ _st_ _, and so on. We all know how the first place spot is always sought after, so the first place winner gets….”_

The boards lit up with a staggering number.

_“Ten million points!!!”_

“He’s so dead.” Akira deadpanned.

“Oh, that’s an understatement.” Morgana said, snickering, “That poor kid.”

Midoriya’s jaw dropped and he turned bone white, almost as if someone sucked his soul straight out of his body. His classmates grinned wickedly, like sharks swimming around a fresh kill.

_“The next event is a cavalry battle! You lot have five minutes to form a team, so choose wisely!”_

Akira opened the second takoyaki box as the students teamed up. His eyes trailed to the sky when there was a light tug on Yatagarasu’s string.

_“What’s the situation?”_

_“It bodes well for us, Trickster. I have located the least guarded side entrance, so we should be able to slip in through there. I believe the opportune time to strike would be noon when more people are exploring the grounds in search of their midday meal.”_

“Akira, it’s about to start!”

The whistle blew, the teams converged on Midoriya in a magnificent combination of teamwork and bloodlust. His personas thrummed with activity.

 _“Oh, they already stole the ten million points.”_ Arsene said, _“What a shame.”_

 _“Come on green child!”_ Cerberus howled, _“Reclaim your right as top predator!”_

 _“Cerberus,”_ Titania covered her smirk with a dainty hand, _“If I didn’t know better, I would say you actually liked this boy.”_

 _“Me? Like??”_ Cerberus shook his snowy mane, _“I’m just proud of the green child!”_

 _“Hmph, stop pretending as if he’s your pup or something.”_ Byakko growled, _“Just because you saved him once doesn’t grant you the right to feel as such.”_

_“You want to fight, pussy cat!? I can feel how I want!”_

_“Hush, both of you!”_ A mighty warrior flared his cape and pointed his weapontowardsanother group, _“While people are enamoured with raw and explosive power, watch as another uses stealth and cunning. This Shinsou Hitoshi has proven himself and taken advantage of the situation. He might just make it to the top underneath everyone’s noses.”_

Akira watched Hitoshi’s group with a new interest. His teammates seemed off, their eyes blank and milky as they skirted away from the main fight, but they had a decent number of headbands. They were already in fourth place and Present Mic didn’t even notice.

 _“Perhaps we should keep a closer eye on him, Trickster.”_ Arsene ran a finger under the rim of his hat, _“He could prove himself to be either a valuable ally or a deadly foe. I would highly prefer the former.”_

 _“I don’t think he would betray us, as he has powerful respect for the Trickster. Too powerful to just turn his back towards the truth.”_ There was a rustle of scales as great crimson eyes gazed through Akira’s mindscape, _“The powers of one’s mind can be greater than that of the body, if one is intelligent enough to harness their wit. I believe this boy can be of great aid if he masters both aspects. Perhaps-”_

_“Ugh. You talk too much, grandpa!”_

_“My verbiage is not that vast, tiny one.”_

_“Could we not just enjoy the show in peace?”_ Titania sighed wistfully, _“I fear that it has already passed while everyone was blathering.”_

Akira smirked as Arsene facepalmed.

“Are you okay?” Morgana looked up at him from the bag, frowning, “The event is already over, but you haven’t really said anything the whole time.”

He pulled attention away from his personas and looked up at the board. Teams Todoroki, Bakugo, and Shinsou made it to the final rounds, with Midoriya’s team just barely scraping into fourth place by a few points. Akira shook his head and looked down at his partner with a smile.

“I’m fine,” He put the cold takoyaki aside and tapped his temple, “I had enough commentary to distract me for a bit.”

“Oh. Mercurius isn’t that chatty, but I guess having over a dozen additional voices does that to you.” Morgana snorted, “In any case, they called for an hour lunch break before the tournament. Did Yatagarasu make any progress?”

Akira glanced around. Many people were already leaving the stands, the grounds would be flooded with people in no time.

“Yup. The time to move would be now.”

Morgana beamed and bounced on his paws, “They won’t even know we were there.”

Akira put away the leftovers and slung the bag over his shoulder, nobody batted an eye to the teen blending into the crowd.

~*~*~*~

“Congratulations on getting into the tournament, Tokoyami.” Shoji said as they sat down for lunch.

They chose a nice sunny spot to eat in peace. It was close to the arena, yet far enough away where they wouldn’t be bothered by the tidal wave of people.

“Thank you,” He poked at his food with a frown, “Midoriya had a good plan, but I’m glad that Dark Shadow was able to snatch that last headband. I’m sorry you didn’t get in, though.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Shoji’s eyes crinkled in a smile, “I’m glad I even got into the second round. Asui was understanding too, but Mineta complained about it.”

Tokoyami snorted, “Mineta harbors a strange sort of chaos within him, so don’t let his caustic words bother you too much.”

“I know.”

Koda, who sat across from them, waved to get their attention.

_‘I think you really have a chance of winning the Sports Festival, Tokoyami!’_

“You really think so? I’ll be honest with you two.” Tokoyami said as he pushed his food around with a long sigh, “Dark Shadow and I have been troubled ever since Joker overpowered us at the USJ. We want to prove that we won’t be that weak ever again, so I want to regain my confidence during the tournament. It won’t be easy, but we refuse to be pushovers any longer.”

Koda and Shoji exchanged glances.

Suddenly, Dark Shadow growled at something within the distant crowd. Tokoyami shivered as a sudden chill slithered up his back, and he whipped around to see a flicker of familiar black hair. His food was forgotten as he bolted from his chair.

“Tokoyami!?” Shoji called.

His friends’ footsteps followed him as he dove into the middle of the bustling horde.

Was it just a trick of the eye? Tokoyami scrutinized the rushing mob, so many faces flowed around him as if he were a rock jutting out from a river. A hand fell on his shoulder, he jumped and whirled around to Shoji. His friend eyed him with furrowed brows.

“Are you alright, Tokoyami?”

“I… I thought I saw….” He turned to scan the crowd again, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, “But no, it must’ve been a hallucination. Perhaps my past demons took advantage of my exhaustion and played me for a fool.”

Koda gently tugged on his sleeve, smiling softly, _‘Maybe you should eat something. It’ll help you feel better.’_

Tokoyami pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

“Yes, you’re right.”

Shoji nodded, then led Koda back towards their table. Tokoyami hovered at the edge of the crowd, eyes narrowed. He was certain he saw the vigilante. Surely that would be impossible? He really was just tired from all of the excitement and his mind decided to play tricks on him.

Besides, Joker would _never_ be able to approach this glorious school without getting swarmed by heroes.

~*~*~*~

“What did you want to talk about, Todoroki?” Midoriya asked with a watery smile.

Silence reigned in the small hall tucked away in the labyrinth of passageways, gentle sunlight draped over Midoriya, but Todoroki leaned back into the shadows. His arms were crossed, dual-colored eyes bored into his classmate.

Midoriya fidgeted through the suffocating silence, “If we don’t hurry, then most of the tables will be taken-”

“Midoriya.”

The boy stiffened, “Y-yeah?”

“I wanted your opinion on something,” Todoroki narrowed his eyes, “About the state of how heroes are viewed.”

“How heroes are viewed...?” Midoriya furrowed his brow, “Are you talking about what happened between Joker and Silver Falcon?”

“What else?”

“R-right. I think…” Midoriya looked down at his hands, which curled into fists, “I think I understand what Joker was trying to do, a-and I’m thankful for everything he did to help us during the USJ. I also know that Silver Falcon’s victims deserve justice. I only wish he could’ve done it a different way.”

“A different way?” Todoroki’s lips fell in a frown, “He revealed that not all heroes are knights in shining armor like they want you to believe. Any other method would’ve been buried, either by the Hero Commission or by Silver Falcon’s own hands. He proved that when his demon delivered evidence to the police station. There was _no_ other way.”

Ear ringing silence pervaded the hallway.

“Todoroki…” Midoriya stood straight and stared him in the eye, mouth agape, “Do you support what Joker did?”

“I do.” Another long silence stretched before Todoroki traced over his scar, “I support him because I know what it’s like to live with someone who pretends to be a hero.”

Midoriya’s breath hitched, “What are you talking about?”

“For as long as I remember, my mother was always crying.” Todoroki’s eyes flashed back to some invisible memory, he shook his head and gazed at Midoriya, “What do you know about quirk marriages?”

That day, in a tiny niche hidden away within a maze of hallways, Midoriya learned a dark truth about the number two hero.

Bakugo, who stood in stunned silence around the corner, scowled. He curled his hands into fists and stomped away as Deku redoubled IcyHot’s declaration of war with one of his own.

“Vigilantes and ‘true heroes’,” Bakugo spat under his breath, “What a load of crap.” 


	17. Life Will Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is it.”
> 
> “How can you know for sure?” Mona stared at the door with narrowed eyes, then glanced up at his partner with furrowed brows. “It’s not even labeled.”

Akira shouldered past the brush as they inched towards the monumental glass building, adjusting the bag over his shoulder so it wouldn’t get caught in the branches. These heroes were none the wiser as the lone figures crept through the lush gardens, the gentle rustle of wind in the trees and bird song covered their softened steps.

“Are you sure this Treasure isn’t in the main building?” Akira whispered to Morgana, who scouted a few paces ahead, “Yatagarasu did compare it to Madarame’s Palace.”

Morgana paused, brushing away a stray twig as to not give them away.

“I’m sure.” He said with a flick of his tail, “It’s not even close.”

Akira’s heart sank. With the way things are going, they might not have enough time to get information and wander around the vast grounds in search of this Treasure, not without having the heroes get suspicious. Or worse, they could get caught.

“Okay, we should be here.” Akira crouched amidst sun-dappled bushes with Morgana at his side.

They were less than 100 feet from the enormous glass construct, it was nearly invisible from the way the pristine mirrors reflected the cloudless sky. It rose so high into the heavens that they had to crane their necks up to see the rooftops. Akira curled his hands into fists as his heart pounded. It was a worthy target for the Phantom Thieves, but they had such a small window to pull it off.

“I figured there would be guards,” Morgana whispered as he looked up at Akira, “What do you want to do?”

There were two figures by the doors, exact copies of one another. Akira recognized Ectoplasm from the pile of Aiba’s files, it was also the same hero that had dragged them from the USJ after he got shot. Yatagarasu floated high over the heroes, who hadn’t yet bothered to look up.

_“Big brother, use me.”_

Akira blinked, _“Use you?”_

_“This event has so many people, who would question if I suddenly lost sight of my big brother in the crowd and wandered away to find him? Nobody suspects a lost little girl. ”_

Akira grinned and backtracked further into the gardens. Morgana glanced in between Akira and the pair of heroes, tilting his head curiously as he followed along.

“You have a plan.”

“Yup,” Akira brushed some dirt from his shoulders, “But we’ll have to be extra careful.”

“Why?”

“I have to use a persona I haven’t practiced with yet.” He studied the treetops with narrowed eyes, “So we’ll have to call Aiba a few minutes ahead of schedule.”

“We can work past a tiny bump in the plan,” Morgana said, grinning, “Who are you going to use?”

Akira chuckled as a smirk split his face, his eyes flooded with liquid gold. Yatagarasu fell back into his mind space to make room for new power.

“Come forth, Alice!”

There was no great pyre to give them away. Sapphire embers swirled around him like a dusting of tiny stars, his costume appeared in a wave of heat as the ashes molded together into one body. The dim light faded away to reveal the persona. 

A pale little girl stood in front of them, her flawless blue dress was tied with a sash at her waist and her golden hair was decorated with a pretty white bow. Her eyes, soft and golden like sunshine draping in through the canopy, were too wide and all-consuming, they pierced through the soul of anyone who peered into them long enough.

His bond with Alice was not a thread or a ribbon, rather a braid of blonde hair drifting on a bottomless sea of death and despair.

“Hello, big brother.” Alice smiled sweetly as she curtsied, “I’m ready to play!”

“I’m sure you are.” Joker fondly patted her head, “But remember that they have to believe that you’re a lost little girl.”

“Aww, they can't play with my teddies after?” She blinked, her tiny lip wobbling, “Not even a little bit?”

“Not today, maybe later.” Joker chuckled and shook his head, “We just can’t risk it.”

“Okay! I promise not to play with my teddies, for now.”

She giggled, but it was the sort of hair raising laughter that should never come from a little girl. The air was chilled with an aura of death, the forest chittered with an array of fleeing animals, even the branches over their heads shifted in an unnatural wind as if afraid for their life. Mona wasn’t the only one to suppress a shiver as she skipped away to the edge of the bushes.

“You might not want to tip off the heroes,” Mona said, fur standing on end, “They’d sense your aura for sure when you go near them.”

Her too wide eyes stared into Mona, then she kicked the ground with a bored sigh.

“Fine, I’ll do it just this once, kitty cat.”

Joker held in his sigh of relief as the soul-shattering aura disappeared. She knelt down to grab a handful of dirt to rub into her dress, and she scuffed her shiny black shoes. Her eyes trailed back over them as she awaited his signal.

Joker held his arm down so Mona could climb onto his shoulder.

“We should hide in the trees.” Mona said, “They’d be the perfect cover.”

Joker nodded and leaped for the closest branch. He swung from one to the next, until his fancy footwork found them balancing on a sturdy branch overlooking the grounds. A curtain of speckled shadows and fresh green leaves shielded them. Mona kept an eye on the heroes as Joker whipped out his phone and called the only number on speed dial.

It only rang once.

“How long until the curry is done?”

 _“The curry is now simmering,”_ Aiba chuckled as keys tapped away in the background, _“It should be done in fifteen minutes!”_

With that, she hung up. They had fifteen minutes to get in, grab the information, and get out. Without being caught. Mona leveled him with a deadpanned expression as Joker tossed his phone in his pocket.

“That was the lamest passphrase I’ve ever heard.”

“Hush, you.” Joker said with a smirk, then he looked down at Alice, _“Go.”_

The Ectoplasm clones stiffened when twigs snapped and the bushes rustled. They widened their stances and approached, tension lining their bodies.

“Come out,” Clone One commanded, “We know you’re there.” 

Alice emerged from the bushes, tears streaming down her face as she sniffled. The heroes dropped their guard as they stared at each other in shocked silence, Clone Two crossed over the grass and knelt in front of her.

“What are you doing all the way out here?”

“I… I… got separated from my big brother. We… we were in the crowd,” Alice hiccuped and wiped crystalline tears from her eyes, “I only let go of his hand for one second! Th-there were so many people and I couldn’t see him anymore, I tried finding him and got so lost…”

The Ectoplasms stared at each other before Two put a firm hand on her shoulder.

“It’s alright. Can you tell me your name?”

She gripped the hem of her dress, “Alice.”

“Okay, Alice. We’ll help you find your brother.”

“R-really? You will?” She blinked her big doe eyes at them, “You promise?”

Two chuckled as he stood up, “I promise.”

“Yay!” She clapped and grabbed either of their hands, “We better hurry, though! My big brother can’t take care of himself, he’s completely lost without my help!”

“Then we better find him fast.” Two said with a hint of amusement.

One looked towards the stadiums, “Where was the last place you saw him?”

“We were at one of the takoyaki stands. I hope he didn’t eat any without me!”

“Well Alice, I’m sure he’s just as scared as you are.” One said with a nod, “Shall we go?”

“Yes, please!”

She walked off, dragging the two hero clones behind her. They faltered at her raw strength but easily fell in step as they traveled towards the crowded areas. Joker hopped down when the coast was clear, a smirk planted on his face.

“I have to admit, I’m impressed with her acting skills.” Mona said.

“I’m so proud of her.”

Joker burst from the foliage and sprinted towards the door. Of course, it was locked, but it didn’t stand a chance against the power of the Eternal Lockpick. That satisfying _click_ would never get old.

“Woah, this place is weird…” Mona said as they walked into the first hallway, “But I guess they might need something this large in a world of superpowers.”

The halls were big enough for entire vehicles to drive through, split down the middle by broken lines as if it _were_ an actual road.

“Too bad you can’t turn into a car here, Mona.” Joker said as he studied their surroundings, “Do you sense anybody?”

The cat closed his eyes as Joker pressed himself into the wall, ears keen for the slightest footstep or rustle of clothing. Mona took in a sharp breath as his eyes flew open.

“There’s nobody nearby at least, but we have a problem.”

“Already?” Joker rolled his eyes and sighed, “Why am I not surprised.”

“We memorized the maps that Aiba found from an old archive,” Mona huffed as he jumped from Joker’s shoulder and hovered at the corner, “But these halls are completely different from those.”

“How old did she say those archives were?”

“She didn’t.” Mona shook his head, “But they must’ve been so ancient that they didn’t bother updating it with the renovations. We’ll have to figure this out on our own.”

“And we don’t have time to scour the whole place.” Joker pinched the bridge of his nose, but a sudden idea crossed his mind, “Let me try something.”

Mona nodded and kept a lookout.

Joker took a deep breath and concentrated, awakening his Third Eye for this first time since they were hurled into this mess. The world around him fluctuated, colors and sounds faded into a smooth monochrome as his senses were honed to a razor-sharp point. Whispers and secrets, every vibration or clue in this vast structure, were at his fingertips. He only had to watch and listen. 

Suddenly, ghostly blue markings trailed across the floor in front of him. They were footprints, but they were in no way human, more like strange animal tracks. Did they belong to a bear? A dog? Perhaps even an oversized rodent?

Mona was at his heels as he crept from one hall and into another, they passed by several classroom doors and then up the stairs to the fourth floor. His vibrant footfalls were in sync with the strange animal tracks, until they ended in front of a glowing blue door.

“This is it.”

“How can you know for sure?” Mona stared at the door with narrowed eyes, then glanced up at his partner with furrowed brows. “It’s not even labeled.” 

Joker smirked, “I just do.”

Mona sighed as he broke through the locked door with the Eternal Lockpick. It creaked open and they rushed inside, Joker closed the door and flicked on the lights. It was a larger room, with two rows of desks that were stacked with papers and folders, a few had laptops or computers. All of the little trinkets scattered across the room were tempting to steal, with their fancy yellow glow, but he used every ounce of self-control not to snatch them up. His eyes wandered over to a cabinet that radiated a vibrant blue, the animal tracks stopped in front of it.

He closed his Third Eye, and the realm returned to normal, colors bled into his vision and he no longer heard the myriad of unintelligible whispers. Joker stepped up to the closest desk and looked over the piles of paperwork.

“Hmm, graded homework.” He looked down at Mona, “We must be in the teacher’s lounge.”

“Well, if you think the information we need is here, then we better get looking. How much time do we have left?”

Joker glanced at the clock on the wall, “Eight minutes.”

He opened the nearest laptop and plugged in Aiba’s flash drive, a smirk inched it’s way on his face as it logged itself in and opened to the home screen. Joker chuckled at the background photo of a cat, so white and fluffy that it looked more like a marshmallow, but it was forgotten as another window opened.

“Seems like it’s working.”

“Good,” Mona said with a nod, “It was a good idea for her to come up with this.”

Joker turned towards the right cabinet, Mona jumped from desk to desk and scanned over the teachers’ personal items.

“You know…” Mona said as he pushed a cup of pens to the edge of the desk, so tantalizingly close to falling, “These people seem pretty normal when they’re not playing hero.”

Joker snorted as he dug through the files and pulled out every folder labeled with the USJ. He flipped them open and fanned out their contents on a nearby desk. Mona kept himself busy by pushing a mug or something particularly breakable near the edge of each teacher’s desk, before trotting his way over to Joker.

“Hey, Mona.”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t think the Treasure could be at the USJ, do you? Since that’s where we landed after Yaldabaoth's attack.”

Joker got out his phone and snapped pictures of maps and class schedules, or information on how the hero Thirteen used various resources to build the USJ, amongst other things.

“I mean…” Mona frowned as he looked out the windows, “It’s possible, and it would make sense. Maybe I couldn’t sense it before because Mercurius wasn’t with me, or because I don’t have all of my powers.”

“And we had no idea what had happened to us at the time.” Joker sighed as his phone snapped more pictures, “Whatever Yaldabaoth did, it messed with our abilities for a while. Don’t blame yourself for not sensing it earlier, okay?”

Mona’s ears flattened against his head and he stared at the ground, “I guess…”

Joker flipped one folder closed and put it back in the cabinet, a tiny smile perked his lips as he reached over to pet Mona.

“You said so yourself, we’ll get everything figured out. We just need to be patient.” Joker finished taking pictures of the second file, when Mona gasped, “Is everything okay-”

“Joker!” Mona stiffened, the fur on his nape stood up straight, “There are people in the hallway, coming in this direction. I think it’s a pair of heroes.”

Joker dug through his pouches. His gloved hands brushed over a small container and he grinned, Mona squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath as a cloud of Stealthanol clung to them like hair spray. Joker flipped the can around his finger and tossed it back into his pocket.

He hastily put any files away and closed the cabinet, then rounded on the laptop. Joker scowled when the download was barely at 50%, but he ripped it out and shut down the computer, Mona jumped to his perch as they scanned over the room. 

Leaving from the door was out of the question, so he flung open the true Phantom Thief exit. A window. The sheer drop from the fourth story was dizzying, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle. Joker froze just as shadows hovered at the edge of the door.

_“Are you certain the weird smell leads here?”_

_“Grrr, I’m sure of it!”_

_“But the door should be locked, the only ones to have a key are us teachers….”_

Mona clung on for dear life when Joker jumped, their stomachs shot into their throats as the wind whistled in their ears. They were in free fall for a mere moment before the ground reached up for them. Mona’s magic charged the air as a tiny cyclone cushioned their fall, a bark of laughter escaped Joker as he rolled into his landing and sprinted to the treeline. Leaves stuck in his hair as he shot up the nearest tree.

“Do you think they’ll follow us?” Mona whispered.

“I don’t know, but we can’t stay here.” Joker leaped to another branch, the movement shedding a few leaves to the ground, “Let’s just try to get back and blend into the crowd.”

Joker hopped through the treetops, inching closer to the chaotic din of the festival. He was about to reach out to Alice when Mona inhaled sharply.

“Stop!” Mona whispered.

Joker froze as the bushes below rustled. The heroes Hound Dog and Snipe emerged through the brush, crossing their verdant surroundings with practiced ease. Joker pressed himself against the tree trunk and held his breath as Mona hunkered down around his shoulders, the shade of the surrounding leaves shrouded them in darkness.

“Are you sure you weren’t just hallucinating?” Snipe asked with a sigh, “Present Mic and Midnight forget to lock the door all the time, and the weird smell could just be anything. Anybody could’ve left the window open, too.”

“No!” Hound Dog was on all fours, nose to the ground, “I _know_ I smelled something off!”

“Okay, but what about now?”

“Now it’s gone!!” Hound Dog sunk his claws into the dirt with a snarl, “GRAAH! This nose of mine is never wrong, so why did the scent just vanish like that!? There’s no way that’s possible!!”

“So, let me get this straight,” Snipe put a hand on his hip and motioned towards the school with the other, “You made us jump out of the fourth story window over _nothing_?”

Hound Dog growled and ran his claws through his thick mane. Joker and Mona stared at each other with wide eyes, a single glance towards the sky and they would be found. 

“I don’t know?”

“Okay, I blame Nezu. He always brings bizarre stuff into the lounge, most of the time it has a weird smell, too. Remember when he brought that cheese one time? It stunk in there for a week!”

“Grrrr, maybe you’re right.”

Hound Dog finally stood on two legs and sighed sharply through his nose. He scanned through the brush, eyes glancing dangerously towards the treetops. Joker slowly reached down for the hilt of his dagger and dug in his pocket for a Vanish Ball, ready to recall Alice at a moment’s notice.

A sudden chime rang across the silent garden.

“Wait.” Snipe said as he looked at his phone, “I got a message from Ectoplasm.”

Hound Dog tore his eyes away from the tree, “Did something happen?”

“It seems like there’s a missing kid? Ectoplasm was helping some little girl, but they lost track of her in the crowd.” Snipe tucked his phone into his back pouch, “He wants us to help look around.”

“Grrr, fine!” Hound Dog stomped off into the garden, “I can at least help with that.”

“When you’re not chasing a fake trail, that is.” Snipe teased.

“GRAAAH! YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR MOUTH!!”

Joker finally let out a breath as their crunching footsteps faded into the distance. Mona sagged over his shoulder with a long sigh.

“That was close, _too_ close.” He said, “Good thinking with that Stealthanol though, otherwise they would’ve found us for sure!”

“No kidding,” Joker crouched on the branch, “I want to check in with Alice and Aiba, can you keep an eye out?”

Mona rubbed against his fluffy hair, “Do you really even need to ask?”

Joker smiled as he closed his eyes.

_“Alice? What are you doing?”_

_“Heehee! I wanted to play hide and seek with Ectoplasm.”_

_“You promised you wouldn’t play with them, but I’m glad you did. The distraction saved us in the nick of time.”_ He said, _“Are you ready to come back?”_

_“I only promised not to play with my teddies, so you’re welcome, big brother. I only need another second, promise!”_

_“Alice-”_

Goosebumps broke out on his arms as her power suddenly flared, the bone chilling aura of death trickled down his spine and made his heart shudder in fear. It was gone just as fast, and Alice skipped back into his mindscape without a care in the world.

 _“What did you do?”_ Arsene growled.

 _“I scared a big meanie! He never apologized to big brother and he was being a jerk to somebody!”_ Alice twirled around with a giggle, _“He deserved it!”_

 _“That doesn’t matter,”_ Arsene flared his wings, his anger seeping into Akira’s psyche, _“You could’ve exposed yourself, and by extension the Trickster, by doing something so foolish. Who knows what could’ve happened if we were found out.”_

_“I’m sorry….”_

_“Just don’t do it again,”_ Arsene’s anger simmered down with a fiery sigh, _“Otherwise I won’t be so lenient next time.”_

_“Okay, I’ll be good!”_

Joker let their voices fade, then opened his eyes to see Mona watching him.

“Are you okay?” He asked, scrutinizing Joker’s pale face, “You didn’t look too good for a few seconds there.”

“I’m fine.” Joker dug out his phone and pressed speed dial.

_“Are you guys alright!? I got the gist of what happened through the cameras!”_

“We made it out, for the most part. Are we still in the clear?”

 _“You are, there are still a few minutes left before everything goes back to normal. Any longer and it might tip off the security nodes.”_ Her keys clacked away in the background, _“Did you get everything you needed?”_

“I found some files of the USJ and got pictures of them, but the flash drive had to be removed before the download was complete.”

_“Hmm, it should be alright. It sucks that we didn’t get everything, but it’s more than what we walked away with, right?”_

“Right…” Akira frowned, “We’ll go over everything once we get back to the Nest. Can you keep a watch out in case anybody gets wise to us?”

_“I’ll listen in on their radios, leave it to me!”_

“Thanks, we’re counting on you.”

Mona chuckled when Joker hung up, “We’re lucky to have someone like her on our side.”

“I have a feeling she and Futaba would get along like a house on fire.”

“They could burn the entire world down from their computers, and there would be nothing anybody could do about it. It’s pretty frightening to think about.”

Joker laughed as they dropped from the treetops, his landing sent ripples of color through the grass. His costume was burned away into casual clothing, they emerged from the forest to rejoin the crowd after Morgana dove back into the bag.

Nobody so much as glanced their way.

“I think the Stealthanol is still in effect,” Morgana whispered, “We should get to the stadium before it wears off.”

“You think it’s worth staying? We got what we needed.”

“It is. We’ll see up close what the strongest students will be able to do. It’ll be valuable information when we run into them in the future. Besides, we got away from the heroes, didn’t we?”

Well, there was no arguing with Morgana.

Akira shuffled on his feet and made his way back. The lunch hour was almost up, civilians and heroes poured back into the stands as the Tournament rounds loomed over everyone’s heads. Excitement charged the air like static.

All they had to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of the show. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've hit some milestones! 12k hits and a little over 600 kudos. Honestly, I never thought I would ever see those numbers, I'm so flabbergasted and thankful to you guys :D We've also passed 60k words even though it doesn't feel that long already?


	18. On The Precipice Of Defeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For real!?

[FANART!!](https://twitter.com/AsterAlley/status/1275085458599534592)

~*~*~*~

The holographic map purred to life within the head’s up display.

Buildings and streets were painted into existence by beautiful green light, the details of this stretch of small-town were spotless, from every street lamp and signpost to houses and storefronts. Various energy signatures dotted the map like glittering gems. It was almost too easy to make a map of this tiny town nestled away in the countryside. This world’s technology was ten or fifteen years behind, it was as easy as breathing to hack into various networks and security cameras dotted here and there, her persona filled in the rest. 

Oracle fiddled with the hidden dials on the side of her mask, watching as the golden dot left a convenience store. Her stomach churned and grumbled, and she lifted her mask with a long sigh. She scrubbed at her eyes and blinked several times to the dingy warehouse where they have been staying since the incident.

Her ‘room’ was nothing more than a few boxes piled together and covered with a tarp, the torn blanket she laid on smelled of mold, but it was better than just ice cold concrete. The warehouse was shabby, the holes pierced through the thin metal allowed rays of sunshine to pass through unscathed. Her nose wrinkled as she sniffled, the scent of rust and copper so strong that it was as if she had just sucked on an old coin.

She gasped as an alarm pierced her ears. Her mask was thrown back on to see a blinking red dot in the center of town, a blood-curdling roar echoed across the city as the air became heavy with unnatural pressure.

 _“It’s another one of those monsters!”_ Ryuji growled, his yellow dot wavering, _“I want to go get a look at it.”_

“Skull, no!” She snapped, “There are already other energy signatures converging on it and I don’t want them to spot you. We’re trying to stay hidden, remember?”

_“A quick peek won’t hurt anything.”_

“Please, just leave it alone?” She grasped her stomach as it grumbled, “We haven’t eaten since yesterday. I feel like my stomach is going to turn inside out at this rate!”

 _“I…”_ There was a long sigh, _“Fine. They had some of those cute animal faced meat buns that you like. I got a few extra just for you.”_

“Thanks,” A tiny smile quirked her lips.

_“Don’t mention it. I gotta take care of my Ren-Ren’s adopted little sis, right?””_

She felt her cheeks burn the same time as her heart lurched. Oracle missed her dad and Ren, and their banter bouncing back and forth on a quiet day in Leblanc, or the way they made coffee. Ren’s curry had slowly gotten better than her dad’s, not that she would ever tell him that. She missed them. It was a feeling that was just as foreign as it was familiar, to have that great, yearning chasm of coiling emotions rising and falling like the tide. One single misstep and her emotions would gouge her like shards of glass.

Don’t get her wrong, she was glad to have Skull at her side. He kept the mood light and prevented her from spiraling, but sometimes he was just a little too loud or swore too much. He missed them too, it was impossible to miss how bags had slowly accumulated under his eyes. Sometimes his temper was a little too short or he would spend nights pacing the warehouse.

She finally opened her mouth to reply just as another alarm rang in her ears. She inhaled sharply as ice trailed down her spine, the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up. Oracle swallowed thickly as her fingers began to shake.

“Skull…” She whispered as her heart pounded in her ears, “Somebody’s here in the warehouse…”

 _“What!? Damnit!”_ His golden dot shot off towards the outskirts of town, _“Hang on, I’ll be there soon!”_

“Oooh, not many people can actually sense my presence when I don’t want them to. Color me impressed, little lady.”

There was a _swish_ of air and she saw a pair of sandalled feet appear a few meters away from her makeshift room. She froze as she slowly looked up, glancing over his billowing black haori and green shihakusho to stare at his face. Messy blonde hair spilled out from underneath a striped bucket hat, his slate grey eyes seemed to stare straight into her soul.

“You can come out you know!” He produced a fan from his sleeve and waved it at her, “I won’t bite as long as you don’t, either.”

Oracle slowly crawled out. A pit fell into her stomach as her mask read his staggering power levels, it was one of the highest readings yet! Where had he been hiding? Why didn’t she sense him earlier? Her hands fidgeted together, but she forced a brave front.

“Who are you?”

“Urahara Kisuke, I’m just a humble shop owner.” He smiled as he studied her, “But the real question is, who are _you_?”

A strange fuzziness permeated the warehouse. Urahara flipped his fan closed and plucked something from mid-air as if he were picking a delicate flower. Her chest tightened as the air was sucked out of her, there was a tugging sensation over her heart as he held a ribbon between his fingers. It was pitch black, with intricate jagged lines flowing with a rainbow of color.

Prometheus growled within her mind, a rumbling snarl that shook the air and clashed with this man’s power. The ribbon glitched straight out of his grasp and vanished. He blinked in surprise, his eyes sharpening like a blade.

“Your spirit ribbon is different from anything I’ve ever seen,” Urahara took a step closer, and she scrambled back, “Not an arrancar or a hollow, not a shinigami or a quincy either. You still feel human, yet there is something else tied to your soul that says otherwise.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Her voice shook despite her best efforts, “What is it you want?”

“Just to have a friendly little chat.” Urahara said, flaring his fan once more to cover his face, “Something strange happened about ten days ago. A foreign energy signature leaked into Karakura Town, one that ripped apart the very fabric of reality. I was curious, and more than a bit surprised to see two children responsible for it.”

“You…” Oracle flinched back, “You knew we were here this whole time?”

“That’s correct!” He smiled as a calculated gleam entered his shadowed eyes, “I wanted to see what you would do, but you two seemed so lost and out of place. It was rather sad to watch much longer. Besides, your strange reiatsu already alerted the Soul Society, so it’s only a matter of time before they send in a team to capture and interrogate you.”

Capture, _interrogation_!?

Soul Society? What?

Is that where those other strange people were from, donning changing swords and black kimono? Then, what were those other monsters? Coming in all shapes and sizes, their heads always covered with a bone-white mask, their bloodlust always stained the air like a thick smog.

Urahara studied her as the silence stretched.

“Well, the information you have wouldn’t be for free!” He tapped the fan against the palm of his other hand, “I can provide you protection and a place to stay, so you won’t have to sleep in this dingy little warehouse anymore. Maybe, I could even help you return to wherever you came from.”

“You… could really do that?” She whispered.

He took off his bucket hat and placed it over his heart, “If it’s within my power, little lady. Plus, I haven’t had anything this interesting and new to study in _years_. It can get rather boring after a century of idleness.”

Oracle folded her hands together. Her mask scanned over Urahara, readings with body temperature, his heart rate, and breathing popped up across her vision. Everything was normal, calm. Nothing about him signaled that he was lying.

This man was being genuine.

“I-”

“Hey! Get away from her!!” Skull burst through the door in full costume, electricity snapping at the air in roiling serpents, “PERSONA, Seiten Taisei!!”

“Skull, wait!” Oracle cried, but it was too late.

The mythical being appeared out of a curtain of flames. Seiten Taisei charged forth on a blackened cloud, swinging his bludgeoning staff with the full force of thunderstorm. Urahara stepped aside and deflected the blow with his fan, sparks flew as if it were made of steel, Seiten Taisei curled his lips in a snarl and his weapon was a blur as he struck again.

Urahara was smirking. He snapped the fan closed and met the attack head-on. The persona’s weapon was stopped with a _paper fan_.

Oracle’s mouth dropped as lightning crackled around the warehouse, winds whipped between the two figures as their powers clashed, but the winner was clear. Urahara stared up at the persona with amusement, the persona was repelled with a simple flick of his wrist.

Seiten Taisei reeled back, slamming into the wall with a loud crash and a plume of smoke.

“For real!?” Skull cried, “What the hell is this guy!?”

He jumped in front of Oracle protectively, weapon at the ready.

“That was impressive!” Urahara huffed with laughter as he dusted himself off, “You _almost_ caught me off guard. Almost. Not quite, though. It was a good try.”

“I’ll show you impressive, old man!” Skull grinned as Seiten Taisei pulled himself from the dent in the wall.

“Skull, stop-”

The light was snuffed out as dark clouds converged over the warehouse, there was a bright flash before lightning clashed through the rooftop and struck Urahara. Or it would have if the man didn’t suddenly vanish.

“Knock it off!” Oracle grabbed Skull’s wrist, “He’s not a threat!”

“That’s bullshit!” Skull whipped around, “You know we can’t trust anyone here, not to mention shady adults!”

“M-maybe, but he was being genuine! My readings proved he wasn’t lying.” Oracle curled her hands into fists, “I’m so _tired_. Do you want to keep staying in this stupid warehouse? Do you want to stay cold and hungry? Do you want to find a way home or do you want to be stuck here forever? What other choices do we really have, Skull!?”

He blinked several times, leaning back from her fury.

“But…I…”

“I see you like to play with lightning.” They whirled around to Urahara, who appeared behind them, “I can play with lightning too, you know.”

There was a spike on Oracle’s HUD. She yanked Prometheus into reality as Urahara pointed a single finger at Seiten Taisei.

“Hado number four, Byakurai.”

“STOP IT!”

A serpent of blue lightning shot from his finger as Prometheus lurched into the air, her quick fingers flew across the holographic keyboards at mach speed. The crack of lightning boomed in their ears and shook the warehouse. It took mere moments for the smoke to clear, but the ground was alight with alien glyphs that circled Skull and Seiten Taisei. Prometheus hovered ominously over them all.

“Ha!” Skull said with a manic grin, “You can’t beat that!”

He was about to step past the barrier but received a nasty shock at its threshold.

“Ouch, Oracle!” He whipped his head towards her, “What the hell!?”

Urahara hummed curiously as he approached the glowing circle, the light cast him in sharp contrast. He poked the edge of the barrier with his shoe and hissed at the tiny sparks that nipped at his toes.

“Skull, banish Seiten Taisei!”

“Uh… why?”

“Just shut up and do it!” Oracle glared into the screen showing Urahara clutching his chin in thought, “And you! I thought you wanted to help, but you sit there and shoot lightning at us?”

The man blinked up at the giant floating orb encased in black fire, eyes still calculating.

“I wanted to see how you would react to the situation.” He whipped out his fan and playfully waved towards a scowling Skull, who was mere inches away, “That kido spell was rather weak and harmless, so it was all in good fun. I promise!”

Skull growled, but his persona vanished in a rush of licking flames.

“Now, are you boys going to be good or-”

“What the hell is going on in here?”

A woman had suddenly appeared behind Urahara. She was slender, with golden eyes and tan skin, her hair flowing down her back in a ponytail.

“Kisuke!” She stepped up to the man and gently smacked him on the back of his head, “What are you doing? Their reiatsu is leaking through the barriers like a sieve! Do you _want_ the Seireitei to locate them? Honestly, they’re just as bad at controlling their reiatsu as Kurosaki!”

“I had it handled, Yoruichi!” He said, though he avoided her eyes like a scolded toddler.

“Right. _Handled_.” She crossed her arms and pinned him with a stern glare, “'Handled’ would’ve been all of us safe and sound back at the shop, not whatever this is. Look kids, I’ll apologize to you for this idiot, he gets beyond reckless when he finds something new and gets too excited.”

“Not true.” Urahara waved his fan, but she snatched it out of his grasp and smacked him in the forehead with it.

“Now, we can keep playing and get caught, or we could all get somewhere safe. Your choice.”

The woman kept a straight face as Urahara tried and failed to take his fan back, like a kid reaching for a toy. Prometheus slowly floated back to the ground, where both the circle of glyphs and the persona dissipated into thin air. Oracle exchanged glances with Skull.

“I’ll apologize for my idiot too-”

“Hey!”

“He can be pretty reckless and stupid, he never thinks these things through.”

Skull sighed, “I’m standin’ right here, you know.”

“I like you, kiddo.” Yoruichi smiled at Oracle as her eyes glimmered with humor, “You have a name?”

Oracle closed her eyes, her costume burning away into casual clothes. The adults blinked several times in surprise as she pushed up her thick glasses and placed both of her hands behind her back.

“Sakura Futaba, my code name is Oracle.”

“Yoruichi Shihoin. It’s a pleasure meeting you, Sakura-san.”

Futaba nudged Skull with her elbow. He rolled his eyes as his costume disappeared into oblivion.

“Whatever. Name’s Sakamato Ryuji, code name Skull.”

“Why do you have code names?” Urahara asked.

“Kisuke, save the questions for later.” Yoruichi waved for them to follow, “Let’s go.”

“Can I have my fan back?”

“Nope, it’s mine now.” Yoruichi fanned her face with a smirk, “Officially confiscated.”

“You’re so mean!”

“Get over it, you have a whole horde of them back at home!”

Futaba smiled at their antics. For some reason, it reminded her of how Ren and Morgana bantered back and forth, whether it be at Leblanc, Mementos, or within a Palace. The thought soothed her heart, just a little.

Ryuji grumbled, his distrust of them was as plain as the scowl on his face. He hovered in front of her protectively, his eyes never leaving the adults.

Futaba reached down and held his hand in both of hers, a reassuring smile spread on her face. His eyes softened a little, but tension still lined his shoulders. She made to follow the two strange adults with Ryuji at her side. They would both feel a little better with a few hours of sleep and some decent food in their bellies, then they could get to work.

Then maybe, _just_ maybe, they could find a way to rescue the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the world of Bleach is now confirmed! Now, there's only one world left...


	19. Restlessness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Villain!”
> 
> Bakugo froze, eyes blown wide as he whipped his head towards the stands.

[AWESOME](https://twitter.com/Dirkapitation1/status/1278686018544287749) [FANART!](https://twitter.com/AsterAlley/status/1280314949194170369)

~*~*~*~

"What do _you_ want?”

“For you to stop acting like a disgraceful child!” Endeavor loomed over his son, the heat of his flames soaking the hallway, “You would’ve blown past the competition if you used your fire! I don’t know why you insist on your foolish outbursts, have you forgotten your duty to surpass All Might?”

“I will win without using fire.” Todoroki scowled, his shoulders set in a stiff line, “I don’t need your power.”

Endeavor scoffed, “You will reach the limits of your mother’s quirk. What will you do then? Did you forget that you’re different from your siblings? You are my grand masterpiece, you need to cease this childish tantrum and use your flames!”

“I am not your ‘masterpiece’,” Todoroki rounded his father, his face filled with murder, “I will show you that I don’t need you to win.”

He stomped down the hallway, mind so muddled with rage that he didn’t notice the little girl waiting around the corner. Endeavor growled, his swirling flames mirrored the frustrated whirlpool around his heart. He was _this_ close to punching a hole in the wall.

Alice felt a tug on her soul, her big brother’s presence was a comforting weight.

 _“Alice? What are you doing?”_ Joker asked.

 _“Heehee!”_ Her grin would unsettle the meanest of men, _“I wanted to play hide and seek with Ectoplasm.”_

 _“You promised you wouldn’t play, but I’m glad you did. The distraction saved us in the nick of time.”_ He said, _“Are you ready to come back?”_

_“I only promised not to play with my teddies, so you’re welcome, big brother. I only need another second, promise!”_

_“Alice-”_

Alice stepped around the corner and revealed herself.

Endeavor raised a brow, turning fully towards her as he felt eyes on him. His skin itched underneath her gaze, the hairs were raised on the back of his neck, something about this child was off, but he swallowed it down and took a step closer.

“What are you doing here, little one?” He asked, “There shouldn’t be anybody else back here.”

Alice’s eyes stabbed into him as she flared her power. A sickly purple glow highlighted her body as death and despair seeped into the fabric of reality, her face split in half with a demonic grin and her eyes began to glow like red hot coals. Her golden locks wriggled like serpents.

“If you know what’s good for you,” Her sickly sweet giggle turned his blood into ice, “Then you’ll be nicer to my big brother. This will be your one and _only_ warning.”

Endeavor swore as all consuming dread crawled into him like a thousand chittering insects. The girl twirled around and a sudden blinding light drowned out all color. He shielded his eyes as he flung himself back, but she had vanished by the time the stars left his vision, with only a smudge of soot and the fading chill of death as evidence that she was ever there. He shivered as he willed his flames to cover him like a wool blanket.

That little girl’s terrifying laughter would torment him for weeks.

~*~*~*~

Hitoshi paced the edge of the hallway, the roar of the crowd trickled in from the sun draped opening, the sound showered him with a film of slimy anxiety. He swallowed the sandy dryness in his throat.

“I can do this,” He muttered to himself, “I’ll show them that I can be a hero, too.”

Hitoshi took another deep breath to calm his rabbiting heart, his mind wandered to his hero. What would Joker do? A single video with Joker’s voice told of his _confidence_ and suave _authority_ , he held the hero world in his palm and shattered the grimy veil of blind worship. That didn’t even touch on his demons’ awesome powers.

What he would give to meet Joker, but that was probably just a pipe dream at this point.

If… if the Sports Festival and hero course didn’t work out, maybe he could be a vigilante, too? Taking justice into his own hands and punishing those that deserved it, saving others just like his hero did for his family. Every fibre of his being _screamed_ for that kind of life.

But could he really do that to his parents, to break the law? Would they be disappointed to learn what his dream was? He loved the Blue Lotus Cafe and respected what his parents did to make it all work, but he didn’t feel like that was the right path for him.

_“And now, introducing the blazing green star that took first place in the obstacle course and got his team to fourth place in the cavalry battle, put your hands together for Class 1-A’s Midoriya Izuku!!”_

Hitoshi took a breath through gritted teeth.

“Figures the hero course would get preferential treatment,” He muttered.

_“And his opponent, who hasn’t really done anything outstanding, Shinsou Hitoshi from Class 1-C!!”_

He breathed in, then out. His false confidence was but a shaky mask as he tried to imitate his hero, he stepped out into the light and made it to the arena without face planting, at least. Midoriya’s baby faced smile irked him like no other. 

“I want a clean match, you two!” Midnight cracked her whip, “Start!” 

Midoriya charged, but Hitoshi relaxed back with his hands in his pockets.

“I heard a lot about your class, Midoriya.” He said with a lazy grin, “How does it feel to be able to bask in all of the attention? To get everything you ever wanted in life because of your powerful quirk?”

Pain flashed across Midoriya’s face, but he didn’t answer.

“Ah, so that monkey must’ve told you. How stupid do you have to be to give up a spot in the tournament?”

“Don’t-!”

His quirk snapped around Midoriya's mind like a steel trap, his lazy grin widened as he held the boy in the palm of his hand. The crowd gasped as Midoriya froze in his tracks, eyes blank and hazy.

“You still fell for it, huh? I guess I can’t fault you for caring for your friends. Now, be a good boy and walk out of bounds for me.”

_“WHAAAAT!? What happened to Midoriya!? He just turned around and is heading right towards the boundary!!”_

_“This is what happens when hero course examinees are only tested for physically powerful quirks. Those with mental or emotional quirks get left in the dust and fall through the cracks,”_ Eraserhead sighed, _“This is why I’ve been against those kind of tests for years.”_

“Sorry Midoriya, but I have to do whatever it takes to be a hero. I have to step up and prove that ‘villainous’ quirks can be used in heroics too.” Akira’s face suddenly flashed in his mind, with a soft smile and kind eyes, “And make sure that nobody else gets beaten down for something they have no control of.”

Only a few more steps until his win, when Midoriya suddenly stopped. Hitoshi’s scalp pricked with static that trailed down his spine and sent a shiver through him. A blast of wind whipped his hair back, the control over his quirk snapped like a dry twig. Midoriya looked over his shoulder, and Hitoshi’s heart lurched with rending fear.

“H-How?” Hitoshi demanded, “How did you break free!?”

Midoriya gritted his teeth and went on the offensive. Hitoshi’s confidence fell apart as sweat beaded on his brow.

“So that’s how it is, huh!? Well, say something!!”

The wind was knocked out of him as Midoriya tackled him, he struggled and lashed out, but only gave Midoriya a bloody nose. His feet were swept out from under him, the sky and the blazing sun filled his vision before his back was slammed into the concrete.

“Shinsou is out of bounds!” Midnight called, “Midoriya moves on to the next round!”

Dread sank in his stomach like a ball of ice, his eyes burned with furious tears. He pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off, not even looking in Midoriya’s direction as he stomped away.

“Shinsou!”

He stopped and glowered over his shoulder, Midoriya’s face was so full of beaming sunshine it was almost blinding.

“Y-your quirk is really cool! You’d be an amazing hero with it!”

“You really think so?”

“Of course! Do you know how many incidents you can prevent just by talking? You can save so many lives with a quirk like yours!”

A chunk of that hateful ice melted away into dim hope.

“Thanks, I guess.”

He turned and walked out of the arena, the encouraging calls of his general course classmates put a smile on his face. That smile fell as he ducked into the hallway and away from the arena, the next round was announced over the speakers, but he didn’t really care. He went to his locker, where he had put his phone and bag, before heading towards the stands.

His phone vibrated a few times. He expected his parents to send their encouragements or condolences, but he didn’t recognize this number.

****[???]** **

_Hey, awesome job during the tournament! I thought you did really good, despite everything._

_This is Kurusu by the way, your mother gave me all of your numbers yesterday._

Of course she did. Hitoshi snorted and tapped away on his phone.

**_**Mind Bender Changed Kurusu’s name to Coffee God** _ **

**__ **

****[Coffee God]** **

_Really? That’s not a name I ever thought I would be called._

****

****[Mind Bender]** **

_There’s no way in hell that you can convince me to change it._

_Thanks for the support I guess, doesn’t really make me feel better since I lost._

_That was my one ticket to the hero course._

****[Coffee God]** **

_Hey, for what it’s worth I thought you were really cool. If the heroes can’t see your potential then it’s their loss, if anybody deserves to be a hero it would be you._

_I’ll make you some extra strong coffee during my shift tomorrow? I also wanted to make some curry too, if your parents agree to it. I promise to let you have first dibs._

****[Mind Bender]** **

_Deal._

He smiled as he put his phone away.

At least he had something to look forward to.

~*~*~*~

_“Start!!”_

Uraraka rushed Bakugo with a battle cry, her feet pounded over the arena.

Bakugo raised his arm for a right hook, but she flung herself under it and reached out. He swore under his breath as the first explosion sent a burst of heat and smoke into the air. Uraraka was swallowed by the cloud, but a wicked grin split his face as her shape moved through it.

“You thought you could sneak up on me!?”

He lunged, but it was just an empty jacket, burnt bits of cloth fluttered through the air. The crowd cheered as she jumped from the smokescreen, hand outstretched. Bakugo whipped around and put his hands together, the conjoined explosives launched her to the other side of the arena. She gasped as she scraped herself form the pavement, sweating and panting for breath, her eyes were sharp and determined as she charged in futile effort, pulling herself up again and again and _again_.

Smoke plumes and dust permeated the air, the constant pops and booms pounded into the audience’s chests. One hero rose from his seat with a scowl.

“Hey, shouldn’t you stop this?”

One voice rallied the crowd, it spread throughout the arena like wildfire. 

“He’s being too harsh!”

“Is that what you call the top student in the hero course? He’s acting more like a villain!”

“I certainly wouldn’t have him as an intern.”

“They should disqualify him!”

“He’s never going to be a hero with that attitude!”

“Is this really okay? The poor girl will get turned to dust at this rate.”

“You shouldn’t even be in the hero course!!”

“Well, it’s easy to see who’s going to be the next Silver Falcon.”

“Villain!”

Bakugo froze, eyes blown wide as he whipped his head towards the stands. Uraraka was rooted to the spot as the boos and jeers got louder, her hands formed into fists and a rush of anger bloomed on her cheeks. 

_“Be quiet, all of you.”_ Aizawa’s voice had a razor sharp edge to it, _“I know recent events have shifted the hero world considerably, but Bakugo is giving his all to treat his opponent with the respect she deserves. Can you honestly look into her eyes and tell her that she doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously? That she’s weak just because she’s a girl?”_

The crowd was silenced, Aizawa let out a long sigh.

_“That’s what I thought. To the hero who started this whole mess, I hope you seriously consider giving up your licence or have a change of heart. These kids have more heroic potential in their pinky fingers than you do in your whole body.”_

“Thank you, Aizawa-sensei,” Uraraka said under her breath, “I’ll show them that I’m not frail!”

The brush of fingers on his arm threw him back into the battle, his gravity was ripped away as Uraraka pushed him towards the dreaded white line. 

_“WOOAH, what’s this!?”_ Present Mic screamed, _“Uraraka managed to use her quirk on Bakugo! How will he deal with having no gravity!?”_

Bakugo grinned like a mad dog as he soared towards his inevitable doom, he threw his hands back, blazing explosions slowed him to a stop. He hovered there for a few moments, stabilizing himself with a few more small pops, his fierce red eyes gleamed with vicious pride. The sun’s searing rays cast him in a golden glow, almost as if he were an avenging angel sent down to do battle.

Uraraka’s jaw dropped as Present Mic went wild.

_“WHAAAAAAAT!? Bakugo is now floating there like a herald of doom!!!”_

_“Bakugo adapted to the situation within seconds,”_ Aizawa said, _“He’s excelled in combat simulations so far, but Uraraka shouldn’t be discounted either.”_

Bakugo wasted no time. He twisted in the air as hands lit up like a fireworks display, thick smoke trailed behind him as he aimed his body at his opponent. Uraraka cried out and dove to the side as he crashed into the arena like a comet, the concrete shattered like ice on a warm spring day. Dust clouds choked the air, Uraraka coughed at the suffocating grime in her throat.

She rushed Bakugo, ready to push him out of bounds, but he jumped, his nonexistent gravity made him soar through the air. Her ears pounded with each explosion, her muscles screamed at her every time the arena gained a new crater, she pressed on through her exhaustion, willing her legs to move even though they felt like jelly.

Despite everything, she had a grin that matched Bakugo’s.

She waited until he launched himself again, floating high in the air like a bird of prey ready to strike.

“Release!!”

Bakugo faltered as weight returned to him, a snarl left his lips as the ground reached up to meet him, but he aimed his explosions at the ground to cushion his fall. He bit back his pained grunt as he rolled into his landing, he glowered at the taste of iron and sharp pain in his mouth. He must have bitten his tongue.

“Is that all you have, Round Face!?” 

“You should really pay more attention, Bakugo.” She wheezed, fingertips placed together.

 _“Debris is falling from the sky like a meteor shower!!”_ Mic shouted, _“How will Bakugo make it out of this!?”_

Bakugo huffed in amusement. His grin turned feral, teeth stained crimson like a predator with a fresh kill, he flexed his sore wrists as chunks of concrete plummeted from the sky.

“Well, you’ll have to do better than that!!”

A concussive blast blew everyone back in their seats, the air fluctuated with heat waves as a mushroom cloud obliterated the chunks to dust. Silence reigned as everyone was peppered with smoking pebbles.

“Finally!” Bakugo barked, “Now let’s get serious, Round Face!!”

He looked over to her, his bloody grin wiped clean off of his face as she collapsed like a ragdoll. Her eyes were glossed over, her fingers clawed towards him and she dragged herself over the crumbled earth, but her fire was extinguished. Midnight sighed as the girl finally passed out.

“Uraraka is down for the count! Bakugo proceeds to the next round!!”

Bakugo rolled his eyes as the crowd only gave half hearted cheers, he wiped the blood from his lips as adrenaline still thrummed through his veins. If he learned anything today, it was that this girl _wasn’t_ fragile. She was no useless lily waiting to be stomped on, she was a rose with jagged thorns that would draw blood if one was careless.

Bakugo would never admit to the tiny smidgen of respect that had bloomed for her.

He ran a hand down his face and trudged over to Uraraka as some robots brought over a stretcher. The least he could do is help her out.

Besides, he would prove to these damn extras that he wasn’t a villain.

~*~*~*~

“Ooooh! Next on the roster is green child!!” Cerberus wagged his tail, “I hope he wins this one, too.”

“His opponent is a master of ice,” Byakko stuck his nose up in the air, “I doubt your ‘green child’ will stand a chance against him.”

“Don’t be so quick to dismiss Midoriya,” Arsene said, clutching his chin, “He has significant power inside of him, if his battle with Shinsou is anything to go by. If he can create such a powerful gust from moving his fingers, then what else does he have up his sleeve?”

“See?” Cerberus beamed, “Green child will win!!”

Byakko snorted and languidly stretched out on the floor.

“It’s adorable how you two are bickering over this,” Titania giggled, “Did you already forget what happened at the end of the cavalry battle?”

Byakko and Cerberus cast glances at one another, and Titania sighed.

“If you were paying attention, you would’ve seen a bit of fire leave that boy’s left side.”

“He had fire?” The guard dog’s eyes lit up.

“Obviously ice is the better element. No wonder he shuns his vile flames.”

“An imbalance like that might prove to be a fatal mistake,” Yatagarasu was perched on Arsene’s shoulder, “I wonder if the boy is limiting himself on purpose?”

“But that would be foolish of him,” Titania scoffed, “Not only does that curb his own growth, it would also be an insult to everyone else who got this far using their full power. It’ll only cause him more grief.”

“Hmm, we shall see what fate has in store for them.” A serene voice trickled through like water, “Let us observe their battle with utmost attention.”

The combatants were called to the stage as everyone went quiet. The battle blasted off with a glacier that consumed the arena, Byakko purred and batted his tail against the ground. Byakko’s smugness made Cerberus’s lips curl, but their staring contest was broken off by a sudden burst of power. The Trickster shielded the Magician as the chilly winds whipped through the stands.

“Did I not tell you?” Arsene said as more ice overwhelmed the arena, only to be blown apart, “He’ll be a force to reckoned with if he learns to properly harness his power.”

“But all of his fingers are getting broken,” Alice tilted her head head, “They seem angry too, the green one in particular.”

“How foolish. The other boy is shivering from his own ice.” Titania wiped some invisible dust from her shimmering dress, “Are all of these children this irrational, or does stupidity and recklessness just run in their veins?”

Midoriya clutched his purple fingers, a mix of rage and pain pooling in his eyes. He shouted something at the other boy, time tilted on it’s axis as Todoroki’s eyes shot open in shock and awe.

Byakko suddenly bristled, “What is this? I sense-”

“Hellflame!”

They were blinded by a sky high outpouring of golden-red fire, the pure heat bathed them all. Cerberus gained a subtle blue glow as he became the Trickster’s current mask, the unbearable warmth fizzled out into a pleasant spring breeze, Byakko wasn’t the only one to breathe a sigh of relief.

The momentary relief turned to horror as ice and fire and raw cataclysmic power clashed in the middle of the arena, Cerberus huffed as Seth became the next mask, his invisible wings shielding the Trickster from the destruction that shook the arena to it’s very core.

The battle ended with Midoriya crumpling over, thrown against the wall on the opposite side of the stage. Cerberus whimpered, his ears went flat on his head and his tail lifelessly flopped to the ground.

“Green child…”

“I told you he would lose.” Byakko muttered, but there was no smug joy in his voice.

 _“I said it before and I’ll say it again,”_ The Magician whispered to the Trickster, _“These people are crazy.”_

Nobody argued with that.

~*~*~*~

Aiba glanced over to one of the screens as an eruption of fire overtook the feed.

“These kids sure know how to be dramatic.” She tapped a few buttons and pressed record, “Too bad it’s silenced. I wonder what Midoriya said to make Endeavor’s kid so worked up. Oh well, it’s not as entertaining as the Iida kid getting used as a show pony.”

She turned back to her work, brilliant code trailed up and down her main monitor, beautiful and dangerous all in one. It would be a weapon to be admired and adored. A tiny smile perked her lips as her fingers flew across the keyboard. She added a few more things to her newborn virus, then leaned back with a content sigh.

This project was barely in its infant stages, but if she was able to hack into U.A. without getting caught, if only for fifteen minutes, then who knows what else is possible? It was dangerous to go into uncharted waters, or fly too close to the sun without getting burnt, so she had to make sure that this virus would be perfect. She rubbed her burning eyes and stretched her sore wrists, her stomach rumbled. Aiba groaned as she fell back into the cushions, her hair was a curtain of magnificent maroon that contrasted her collection of darker pillows. 

“Maybe I’ll ask him to make some more curry when he gets back,” She said as she stared at the ceiling, “Not the half baked instant stuff, either.”

Aiba’s eyes fluttered closed for only a few moments, but she was jarred awake by her blaring phone. She sat up with a startled cry, hands blindly feeling around her desk. An empty water bottle was knocked over as she finally found the cursed thing and held it up to her ear.

“H-hello?”

 _“Is everything still in the green?”_ Akira’s voice filtered through a din of chaos, _“We’re about to head back to the Raven’s Nest.”_

Aiba blinked several times and glanced at the Sports Festival stream. Her heart went into her throat as she lunged at the keyboard. All Might was already giving the bronze medal to Tokoyami! She must’ve fallen asleep!

“Y-yes! Everything should be fine!” She pinched the phone between her ear and shoulder as she scrolled through her feed, “There hasn’t even been a peep about any intruders. By the way, can you make some curry when you get back? _Real_ curry, not the instant stuff.”

 _“I… guess we can pick some stuff up for it,”_ He was silent for a moment, _“Any real reason for the sudden request?”_

“Oh, come on! We have to celebrate somehow!” She said with a roll of her eyes, “You broke into the _top_ hero school in the country and didn’t get thrown in jail! That counts as a victory all by itself. Pretty please?”

 _“You’re right. I should practice my curry making skills before they get rusty.”_ She could feel his smug grin, _“Anyway, we’ll see you in a bit.”_

Aiba hung up and tossed her phone on the cushions, idly watching it bounce before turning back to her computer. She hummed a tune as she worked on her project, but her growling stomach was too much of a distraction. Her new baby was saved on an extra flash drive to be worked on later.

She couldn’t wait for them to get back so they could eat.

If Akira’s homemade curry was anything like his coffee, then she would be in for a real treat. 

~*~*~*~

Akira left the stadium behind, despite the fireworks and the cheers rumbling through the grounds like thunder. His eyes were on his phone as he flicked through his gallery. He made sure to take plenty of pictures and gain video footage of the battles, both for research and to have undeniable proof of this world’s insanity. 

“I’m sure Yusuke would’ve loved to see Todoroki’s Giant Iceberg of Doom,” Akira said softly, “It was so close we could reach out and touch it.”

“You _did_ reach out and touch the Giant Iceberg of Doom.” Morgana stuck his nose out with a snicker, “I’m surprised nobody got seriously injured from that, especially you.”

“Byakko made sure it wouldn’t hurt me,” Akira pocketed his phone, “I just feel sorry for that tape kid, he stood no chance.”

“That’s an understatement,” Morgana whispered, “In any case, I would call this mission a huge success.”

“Not quite, we haven’t left the school grounds yet.”

Every step closer to the U.A. gate was agonizing. They were _so_ close to getting away scott free, yet anything could happen between here and there that could flip everything on it’s head. They passed the food stands, the vendors scurried to get the final dishes done before the events ended and people would flood the grounds, snapping up the last of the festival food before they were booted out of the school.

“Wait, you there!”

Akira froze as footsteps approached from behind. He looked over his shoulder to Ectoplasm, whose eyes scanned him warily, Morgana went rigid and held his breath. He adopted the mask of a nervous teenager, the switch was as easy as shifting to a different persona. 

“Y-yes?” Akira made himself as small as possible, “Can I help you, sir?”

“I hope so,” Ectoplasm said with a sigh, “Have you seen a little girl with blonde hair and a blue dress? We were helping her locate her brother when she got lost in the crowd.”

Alice’s giggles sent tremors down his back.

“N-no, I haven’t.”

“Damnit,” Ectoplasm muttered under his breath, “If you do see her, then please alert the nearest hero or police officer. We don’t want her getting injured or scared off.”

“Will do.” Akira pushed up his glasses and blinked innocently, “I hope you find her.”

“Me too, kid.”

Ectoplasm turned away to question other passing civilians. Akira sighed in relief, then whirled around to get the hell out before something else happened. They danced with Lady Luck enough for one day, and they knew better than to stick around and wait for her patience to run thin. Relief swelled through their chests when they passed under the cursed school gate. An odd heaviness left their bodies too. 

_“That was fun, I guess.”_ Alice said the moment they stepped onto public streets, _“I really like Ectoplasm, I think he might be the only one to survive playing with my teddies. I wonder how many clones would go down before he actually dies?”_

 _“Killing humans is not our way, Alice.”_ Arsene chastised, _“Nor will it ever be the first option we choose. Understand?”_

Alice nodded with a pout, but said no more.

Akira let their words fade into the background as he glanced back at the golden insignia stamped on the gate, Morgana’s eyes gleamed from within the bag as he stared too. Akira adjusted the bag before turning to walk away. They both knew that they would have to come back to U.A. one way or another, if what Morgana sensed had any significant role in their place in this world.

Besides, no possible Treasure would ever be safe from the Phantom Thieves.

~*~*~*~

Aizawa let out a bone deep sigh as he stepped into the teacher’s lounge.

“What’s up with the dramatic sigh, Shouta?” Midnight teased as she plopped down at her desk and crossed her legs.

“I’m just glad the Sports Festival is over,” Aizawa sank into his chair and laid his head down, “It was stressful and my students are idiots. Midoriya permanently damaged his hand because the problem child can’t control his own quirk.”

“It would have been worse if we didn’t put a stop to it,” Cementoss said with a nod, “Sometimes children just get reckless.”

“That was more than just being reckless.” He growled.

“Maybe, it was pretty exciting though!” Midnight said, “Oh! I heard that one of the third years lost his clothes when using his quirk. I bet that’ll skyrocket the ratings!”

“Don’t even go there.” Aizawa said, “He-”

“GOOD JOB TODAY EVERYBODY!!!” Present Mic kicked open the door.

The sudden ruckus knocked over the items on their desks, mugs and picture frames toppled over and shattered while pens spilled out onto the floor. Snipe cried out as his favorite knick knack broke in half. Aizawa glared at his friend before scooping up his pen collection from the tiles, others cleaned up spilled papers or ceramic shards.

“Really, Mic?”

“Er, sorry?” He shrugged with a watery grin, “That’s never happened before.”

“You owe me!” Snipe said, he held together the broken pieces in futility, then put them on his desk with a sigh, “This was a collectors item!”

“Alright, alright!” Mic waved his hands, “I’ll get you another one! Scout’s honor?”

“You better,” Snipe tipped his hat, the other hand patted his gun, “Otherwise I’ll load your leather jacket full of iron.”

Midnight cackled as Aizawa rolled his eyes. He ignored their banter as he put his pen collection away, then opened up his laptop. His cat, Marshmallow, stared back at him from the home screen, but a sudden pop up made his eyes narrow.

“Download interrupted..?”

He scowled and glared at Midnight, but she wasn’t paying any attention as she teased Mic. He would have to remind both her and Present Mic to stop downloading unsavory garbage to his computer as a prank. With another roll of his eyes, he closed the window without a second thought.

“Shouldn’t Nezu be here already?” Power Loader said as he deposited broken shards in the waste bin, “It’s not like him to be late.”

“And Ectoplasm and Hound Dog too.” Midnight said with a frown.

“Oh,” Snipe glanced between the other teachers, “They are scanning over camera footage to look for a little girl that got separated from her family, they sent me back to inform you all. The other heroes we hired for security are also searching the grounds.”

“A lost little girl?” Yagi blinked up from his desk, “Do you know if they found her yet?”

“No luck as far as I could tell,” Snipe said with a shrug, “I hope they can find the little darlin’ before anything bad happens to her.”

“Maybe she found her family already?” Midnight said, “That would make sense since nobody received an emergency call or got an amber alert.”

“I guess we’ll find out when they get here.” Snipe tipped his hat, “Whenever that will be.” 

Aizawa sighed as he scrubbed his eyes.

All he wanted to do after a day like today was go home, snuggle with Marshmallow, and go to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Well, that concludes the Sports Festival, I felt that there wasn't really a need to hash out every fight and make it longer than it should be necessary, so I only included the two that I think would be most impactful.


	20. Sunset Bridge

Akira added the final touch of cream and sugar to the coffee.

The rich liquid was given a quick stir, curls of steam wafted from the cup as Akira picked it up and rounded the counter. Hitoshi sat at the booth with a small laptop, he glanced up as the coffee was set in front of him.

“Your coffee, as promised.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Akira frowned when Hitoshi glared at his device, “Is something wrong? If you’re still upset over yesterday-”

“It’s not that. Well, I would be a liar if I said I still wasn’t mad over that.” Hitoshi shrugged, “But it’s something else. I’ve been doing some digging on the Hero Killer, since the news compares him so much to Joker, and there are some things that don’t really add up.”

Akira blinked, “Like what?”

“Stain was relatively unknown before Joker took down Silver Falcon.” He sipped on his coffee and scrolled through the web page, “He still had a small following, with only a few mentions here and there between shady forums. Not even the news really seemed to care about him.”

“What exactly are you getting at?”

“I just find it odd how Stain gained so much attention all of a sudden.” Hitoshi sighed and set his cup down, “It’s like somebody used Joker’s sudden fame to fuel Stain’s ideals, to send his message to a much broader audience. The sad thing is that it’s working, and now Joker and Stain are nearly synonymous to each other. Their mutual fame keeps bouncing off one another, for better or for worse. There’s always some new article about them whenever I check the news.” 

Akira sank into the opposite booth with a frown, “It does sound suspicious.”

“It is. As I said, it just seems that way. I haven’t found any concrete evidence yet, so I don’t know if its a coincidence or not.” Hitoshi shrugged, “That, or the conspiracy theorist in me just doesn’t know when to quit.” 

Akira pushed up his glasses, “What exactly do you know about Stain?”

“Where to even begin,” Hitoshi blinked slowly, and took another sip of coffee before he spoke, “Rumor has it that Stain was a vigilante called Stendhal before he snapped and started murdering heroes, he’s walked a pretty bloody path since then.”

“How many victims does Stain have?”

“Let me look,” Hitoshi hummed, typing on his laptop, “He’s murdered 17 known pros and permanently crippled another 22. Well, 23 now. Ingenium got hit in Hosu during the Sports Festival yesterday, there was an article this morning stating that he might be permanently handicapped. They haven’t released anything new yet, so the hero’s still alive at least.”

“Yeah…”

Akira frowned as he looked out the front windows.

Something heavy had taken to the air since Stain’s attack on Ingenium, he couldn’t exactly place a finger on it. Was it fear? Uncertainty? It was in the eyes of everyone he passed this morning, in hushed whispers that spoke of the sheer brutality. It was similar to the dread that plagued Shibuya during Kaneshiro’s reign, but Stain’s reach extended all over Japan and was drenched by merciless bloodshed.

His gut instinct screamed at him to _fix_ this before Stain could maim anyone else. 

“Why are you so interested in Stain?” Hitoshi pulled him from his thoughts, “You’ve been asking a lot of questions.”

“I just want to stay informed in case there’s anything new,” Akira blinked a few times and smiled, “Better than being completely ignorant, right?”

“Hmm,” Hitoshi narrowed his eyes and took a slow, exaggerated sip, “I guess.”

“Kurusu-kun!” Risumi poked her head out of the kitchen, “I believe it’s almost done!”

“Coming!”

Hitoshi’s eyes never left him as he stood and disappeared into the other room with Risumi, a divine scent had drifted from the kitchen, intermingling with buttery and sugary counterparts. Ayumu stood in front of a large bubbling pot, he glanced over to them when they entered. The man hadn’t bothered Akira since he started working here, but his lips fell into a slight frown, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

“It smells amazing, Kurusu-kun!” Risumi said, “Are you certain you want to give us this recipe? Wasn’t it from your old boss?”

“I’m sure,” Akira grabbed the ladle and stirred, the smell was familiar and heart wrenching, “Boss would want me to share it with everyone that I could.”

“And if this test run of your curry and coffee combo takes off,” Risumi smile widened, “Then I think you should get to name it.”

Ayumu’s scowl deepened, but Akira paid the man no mind.

“Can we call it the Leblanc Special? It was the name of his cafe.”

“Of course, dear.” Risumi clasped her hands together at her waist, “Although, I’ve never heard of curry having grated apples and yogurt in it before.”

“It’s not uncommon,” Akira nodded as Sojiro’s voice played over in his mind, “The apples and yogurt add a layer of sweetness to the curry, and it balances out all of the other spices. This recipe is one of the first ones he taught me how to make. I figured we would start with something simple before moving on to the more complex recipes.”

“Oh?” Risumi perked up in interest, “What are some of the others?”

“There’s another recipe with honey, a different one that uses chocolate,” A soft smile came over him as he stared into the curry pot, “But my favorite has to be the one with red wine in it. The wine adds a certain depth and richness to the sauce, and it also tenderizes the meat. You don’t have to worry about the alcohol because it cooks off before the curry is done.”

“You know your stuff.” Ayumu admitted hesitantly.

“He taught me just as much about coffee beans,” Akira gave the curry one last stir, “If you’re up for buying anything new, then I would suggest trying Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. It was his best seller.”

Risumi exchanged glances with Ayumu, “I’m surprised you’re sharing so much with us, much less allowing us to use his actual recipes. I know you cared deeply for this man, just by the way you talk about him.”

“Well…” Akira avoided their eyes, “I might’ve also shared everything as a peace offering?”

Ayumu crossed his arms and scowled at him. “What did you do.”

“Ayumu!” She elbowed her husband, then looked at Akira with a raised brow, “Why would you want to give us a peace offering when you’ve done nothing wrong?”

“I know I just started working here, but I would like to request some time off.”

“How long?”

“A couple of days, a week at the most.”

Risumi hummed, “Is there a particular reason why?”

“I’m helping a friend move to another city. I’m the only person she has and I want to make sure she gets settled in safely.”

A whole week, one day to get Aiba to Gentle Criminal, and then the rest to scour Hosu for Stain. Morgana didn’t like going after a serial killer any more than he did, but they had to stop him before more people got hurt or worse.

Risumi’s sleepy eyes stared into him for several seconds, and for a moment he thought she would say no.

“Okay.”

Akira blinked, “Okay?”

“I gave you all of our numbers, so do keep us updated? Let me know if you need any more time to get your friend moved in.”

Akira nodded. Ayumu rolled his eyes and sighed, to which she turned to him with a tiny, frightening smile.

“Dear, I believe the cinnamon rolls are burning.” The man swore under his breath and scurried to another stove, “Don’t mind him, Kurusu-kun. Did you want to deliver the first plate of curry to Hitoshi? I’m sure that would make him feel better, he’s been a bit down since the Sports Festival.”

Akira scooped some fluffy rice from a nearby cooker and ladled a healthy helping of curry sauce. Risumi winked at him as he went to the front of the cafe, Hitoshi was still in the booth, captivated by his computer. His eyes shot wide open as Akira set the delectable dish down with a smirk.

“The first batch of my homemade curry,” He pushed up his glasses, “And you’re the first one to taste it.”

“Sweeeet.”

Akira could see Risumi and Ayumu poking their heads out from the kitchen doors as Hitoshi took the first bite. Hitoshi’s eyes shot wide open as he chewed thoughtfully, put down the spoon, and took in a deep breath. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the booth.

“You alright, there?” Akira asked with a tilt of his head.

“Perfect. Tasting anything you make is a religious experience,” He said with a content sigh, “I need a moment to savor it.”

Akira chuckled as Risumi came out of the kitchen with a tiny smirk of her own. In her hand was a sign with ‘Leblanc Special’ written in colorful chalk, which she put at the top of the glass display.

“Kurusu-kun, can you flip the sign? We’re just about ready for the day.”

“On it.”

Some tiny, gnarled part of his heart unfurled as he flipped the sign, the scent of curry and coffee drifting through the Blue Lotus Cafe felt like home.

~*~*~*~

Morgana glanced over reports and class schedules, files with students’ faces and quirks, of maps and blueprints of certain buildings.

This was but a taste of what Aiba’s flash drive recovered from the school files, she had been working on sorting through and categorizing it on her computer, printing a few things here and there for him to read over. The largest map was splayed out on the lounge coffee table, anything of importance was circled in red. 

Morgana’s eyes were getting strained, but he shook his head and pressed on.

“So, let me get this straight,” Morgana stared into the map, “This _whole_ thing is the U.A. campus?”

“Pretty much.” Aiba looked up from her laptop, “U.A. is the top hero school in the country, they can easily spend hundreds of thousands to expand their property, especially with the amount of money they get just from the Sports Festival alone. That doesn’t cover the grants they get from the Hero Commission either.”

“This is… a lot bigger than I thought possible,” Morgana put his paw over the dot marked USJ, his ears drooped, “So this place is a few miles from the main building, but it’s still within the school’s boundaries.”

“Yup.” Aiba closed her laptop and set it aside, “They usually carry students to and from the various gyms with buses. The USJ is around a twenty-minute ride from the main school grounds. Not many classes aside from the Hero Courses actually go there, though the gyms are open to all students.”

A pit of dread swirled around Morgana’s heart.

“What’s wrong?” Aiba asked with furrowed brows, “You two have been quiet ever since you got back. I thought you would be happy to get all of this?”

“I know, and we are. It’s just…”

At that moment the door opened and Akira walked through, looking fairly exhausted.

“Welcome back!” Aiba said with a smile, “How did everything go today?”

“The Leblanc Special was a smash hit,” He said as he sank into the couch with a sigh, Morgana wasted no time jumping into his lap, “We were sold out of curry within a few hours. I wouldn’t doubt it if the Blue Lotus Cafe will be the talk of the town because of it.”

“I’m sure.” Aiba chuckled, “Kaito and I ate the last batch you made.”

“Already?” He stared at her with a raised brow, “I just made a whole pot last night!”

“I have no regrets.” She deadpanned, “Neither does Kaito.”

“Well, I’m glad it was a success,” Morgana said, “But we have a big problem, Akira.”

“What else is new?” Akira lifted his glasses to scrub at his eyes, “What’s the problem?”

“Just look at the map,” Morgana hopped onto the table, “How are we going to get to the USJ without tripping security? We barely made it out of the main building without getting caught, so we’re stuck unless we come up with something.”

Akira leaned forward with a frown, “Well, just storming the place is off the table.”

“Yeah, that would be total suicide,” Aiba said, “You’d not only alert the whole U.A. faculty, but it would send out an emergency signal to every hero in Musutafu! They upgraded their systems in case there’s another invasion.”

“But can’t you hack it?” Morgana asked, “You already did once.”

“I… could.”

Morgana narrowed his eyes, “You don’t sound so sure.”

“Look,” Aiba bit her lip and glanced in between them, “It took me _two weeks_ with shortcuts to buy you two fifteen minutes! Plus, you were already at the building before I launched my program!”

“How does the security system at U.A. work, anyway?” Akira asked, eyes glued to the map.

“To put it simply,” She said, “The upgraded security nodes send out a signal in random intervals, the shortest interval being fifteen minutes. If there’s an inactive node or one line of code that’s not supposed to be there, then it’ll send an alert to all the heroes on site. It’s why fifteen minutes was the maximum amount of time I could get you.”

“Okay, so we would need to shut it down completely to have a chance,” Morgana looked into Akira’s eyes, “And who knows how long it’ll take to get to the USJ or to properly investigate it.”

“And to find what we need…” Akira clutched his chin in thought, then turned to look at Aiba, “How long would it take you to make a virus that would shut it down completely?”

“I….” She gripped the hem of her shirt with white knuckles, “It could take months to make a virus powerful enough to blackout their systems, and U.A. could upgrade their security system even more by then-”

“ _Months!?_ ” Akira and Morgana exclaimed simultaneously.

Aiba jumped, her shoulders flew up to her ears as she blinked several times.

“I’m sorry,” She said, shaking her head, “I’ll work hard on it, but I have to make sure that it’ll be perfect so you two won’t get arrested! What’s so important at the USJ anyway?”

Akira and Morgana’s eyes met. Entire conversations flashed in between them in mere seconds, before Akira looked over to Aiba. His shoulders sank, his eyes so full of sorrow that it made her heart twist.

“The USJ could be our only ticket to returning things to normal.”

Aiba furrowed her brows, then glanced at Morgana as the cat sighed.

“Let’s just say that we were attacked and that our appearance during the USJ was never supposed to happen,” Morgana said, he shivered and curled his tail around his legs, “There might be clues at the USJ that could fix our current predicament, but that’s all you need to know.”

“I get it,” She held her hands up, “We all have secrets. I’ll put my heart and soul into the virus and make sure you two can get what you need. Just, please be patient with me?”

Akira stood from the couch, his sorrow replaced with a mask of gentle kindness.

“Do what you need to do,” He said softly, “Now I know we have plenty of time to kill. In any case, how far did you get in sorting the information we got?”

“Do you know how many people would kill for this information?” Aiba pulled a flash drive from her computer and handed it to him, “ I already divided it up into different categories. There was a lot to sort through, everything from student and teacher files, to the _correct_ blueprints of all of the buildings, schedules, and classes, among other things. I put all of the useless information in a separate folder. I don’t think you’d be interested in renovations for the girl’s locker rooms, at least I hope not.”

Akira snorted, “Thanks. We’ll put it to good use.” 

“You better!” Aiba crossed her arms, “I also put a fail-safe on the drive just in case, so it’ll only work with my laptop and the computer in your cubicle. It’ll crash any other computer it’s plugged in to, then wipe all of the information from the drive. We can’t be too careful with something like this.”

“Nice.” Akira nodded, then pocketed the drive, “So, are you ready for tomorrow?”

“W-we’re going tomorrow?” She jumped from the couch, her cheeks turning a shade of pink, “I… I’m going to be able to meet Gentle Criminal?”

“That’s the plan.”

Aiba suddenly rushed forward and crashed into him. Akira stiffened at the sudden embrace, but a genuine smile broke out as he patted her head.

“Oh my gosh! I have so many things to get ready for!” She broke off the hug and raced towards her cubicle, “Everything has to be perfect before we leave tomorrow!! Feel free to use my laptop for the information you got! The password is the flavor for last night’s curry!”

Silence hung in the air as her door shut. Akira stood there for a long moment, the feeling of Morgana’s eyes on him prickled up his back, then he walked over to the kitchen and dug out various ingredients.

“What are we going to do, Ren?”

The use of his real name made him hesitate, but he shook his head and snatched up a bag of potatoes.

“I’m going to make an extra big pot of curry,” He said, “I’m sure Kaito would appreciate some decent food while we’re gone.”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

“I know.” Akira dug out the massive pot from the bottom cabinet and filled it with water, “We’ll do what we need to do while Aiba works on the virus. It’s all we can do.”

“So we’ll continue our work as Phantom Thieves until then?”

“Better than sitting around and doing nothing, don’t you think? We’ll put our talents to use and help people, it won’t be that different compared to what we did at home.”

“I guess….” Morgana sighed and looked at the map, “I’m just really worried about the others. I hope they’re okay.”

“They are.” Akira frowned as he turned off the water, then set it on the stove to boil, “They’re strong enough to withstand anything, they’re not alone either. Who knows, maybe they’ll be able to reach us before we reach them, then the whole plan with Aiba’s virus won’t be needed.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Akira’s frown turned into a smirk, “I’m always right.”

“Sure you are,” Morgana said with a roll of his eyes, “But we should memorize all of the information we got from U.A. and research everything we can about Stain, after you’re done with the curry, of course.”

“And here I was just getting used to not doing homework,” His voice oozed with sarcasm, “But then again, I don’t think anybody’s homework is to plan the downfall of a serial killer.”

Morgana chuckled, “Understatement of the century.”

~*~*~*~

Extra pair of clothes? Check. Items and a certain flash drive tucked safely away in his costume? Check. His phone, charger, and wallet? Double check. He stuffed the rest of his things underneath the desk, then picked up his bag and walked out of his cubicle. Morgana was sitting patiently in the lounge.

“She’s not out yet?”

“Aiba’s been in the bathroom for almost two hours,” Morgana said, “Remind me why girls take so long?”

Akira shrugged with a half-smile.

“We still have time before the train leaves. We’ll be-”

Morgana looked at something behind him, his jaw dropped as Akira heard soft footsteps. He turned around, his eyes widened as he blinked several times.

Aiba’s baggy clothes were replaced by a long-sleeved blouse and a maroon skirt, her raspberry hair was wrapped up into pigtails, with some sweeping bangs over her forehead. Thick black makeup covered the circles under her eyes and made them pop. She carried a backpack that was nearly as large as she was.

“W-well?” Aiba tugged on one of her pigtails, eyes flicked between them, “How do I look?”

“You look… a lot different.” Morgana said.

“A good different,” Akira said with a smile, “You’ve really come into your own.”

Her anxiety melted away with a bashful smile, she adjusted the massive bag and marched straight for the door.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” She chimed happily, “Let’s go!”

Akira and Morgana exchanged glances before he held out his shoulder bag for Morgana to make himself comfortable. The cat snuggled down as he followed, Kaito’s jaw slacked when they traipsed out to the front.

“So, you guys really are leaving.”

“Morgana and I aren’t,” Akira said, “Not permanently, anyway.”

Aiba nodded, “Thanks for letting me stay here, Kaito. I don’t like long goodbyes, so I wish you the best of luck!”

“Well, I wish you the best of luck too,” Kaito chuckled, then glanced at Akira, “You two be careful, you hear?”

“We will,” Morgana poked his head out of the bag, “I hope you don’t mind, but we had to leave some of our stuff in our cubicle. Can you look after it for us?”

“And there’s more than enough curry in the fridge to last until we come back.” Akira said, “Just don’t eat it all in one go.”

“I’ll make sure nobody messes with your stuff. I shall make no such promises with the curry though.” The man leaned back in his seat and waved at them, “Now, go on. I’ll be seeing you later.”

With a nod, they made their leave. They barely took two steps before Aiba dug around in her bag, producing a fuzzy shawl and a large pair of sunglasses.

“What are those for?” Akira asked.

“A disguise!” She threw the items on and posed, “I don’t want to be recognized when I start working with Gentle!”

“Right, because you don’t look ridiculous at all.” Morgana shook his head and ducked into the bag, “Let’s go, before we’re late.”

Akira took the lead, with a ‘disguised’ Aiba trailing behind him. The morning rush was just beginning, but they made it to the station without too much trouble. It wasn’t until after they got their tickets that they ran into something interesting.

A certain group of kids stood around holding similar suitcases, he spotted Uraraka and Midoriya right off the bat. Eraserhead was at the head of the group, the general chaos of the station washed the man’s voice away. Akira ducked his head to avoid their eyes and blended into the crowd, Aiba reached out to grasp his sleeve so that they wouldn’t get separated.

“Did you know them?” She asked when they boarded the train.

“Those were the 1-A kids,” They walked down the aisle to find a decent seat, “I’ve run into a few of them before.”

“I don’t think they saw us,” Morgana whispered, “I was watching them while we boarded.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about!” She found a pair of open seats and hopped into the window seat, “I’ve already hacked into the areas we’ll be in today, so any camera footage will be useless.”

“Did I ever mention that I love your hacking?” Akira said as he took his seat and placed his bag on his lap.

Aiba chuckled, then they fell into a comfortable silence as the doors shut and the train lurched with motion, the world outside was reduced to nothing more than a colorful blur. It wouldn’t be too long of a ride, so Akira leaned his head back into the chair and closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath as he focused inward. His personas had been unusually quiet today. He could feel the tension lined within Arsene, hear the bristle of his wing feathers as he shuffled them restlessly, that alone set the rest of them on high alert.

 _“It’ll be okay, everyone.”_ Akira thought, _“We have a plan.”_

 _“And we know plans don’t usually go, well…. as planned.”_ Arsene said, _“We have experience with the dangers of the metaverse, but taking on a man as ruthless as Stain is an entirely different matter.”_

 _“Hmph!”_ Seth reared his head up, _“Bloodstain uses mortal weapons made of metal, they cannot harm as long as the Trickster has me as his mask”_

 _“His name is Stain.”_ Titania corrected, _“Just Stain. What a droll name for a bloody man.”_

Seth snorted, _“Bloodstain, Shitstain, whatever sort of stain he is, he can be devoured by yours truly.”_

_“Shit.”_

All eyes turned to Alice, who swayed her hips back and forth. She blinked her big doe eyes like the innocent child she wasn’t.

 _“Alice, no bad words! And you, Seth, watch your language!”_ Titania covered Alice’s ears, _“We have a precious child in our midst.”_

 _“Big sis!”_ Alice pushed away from Titania and stomped her foot, _“I’m more than old enough to listen to curse words!”_

 _“Even if Stain were to somehow get through Seth’s defense,”_ Byakko huffed an icy breath as he ignored them, _“We have powerful healers in our ranks. The Magician, Titania, among others.”_

Byakko’s eyes trailed to a figure floating serenely half-way across the mindscape.

 _“Tch,”_ Titania tucked a lock of hair behind her ears, _“My healing skills should be more than enough. The Trickster has faith in my healing abilities, right?”_

 _“Oh?”_ The floating woman’s velvety voice slinked across Akira’s psyche, _“You only have a single healing skill, but you cannot revive or cure ailments. You cannot match a power like mine. Such a shame, Lady Titania.”_

 _“You want to say that to my face?”_ Titania snapped, her voice was like a sickly sweet venom, _“Come over here and I’ll-”_

 _“Enough!”_ Arsene flared his great wings and growled, _“We will not argue over petty little things. Besides, the Aiba girl is staring at you, Trickster.”_

Akira opened his eyes. Aiba was studying him, her eyes visible over the dark lenses. 

“What?”

“You fell asleep for a bit,” Aiba said with a tilt of her head, “I was about to wake you up.”

“I didn’t fall asleep, I was just talking with everyone.” Aiba scrunched her face in confusion, so he tapped his temple, “Was talking with Arsene, but he’s not the only one there who likes to talk.”

“Really?” Aiba’s eyes widened, but there was a sparkle to them, “How many of them are there?”

“Over a dozen.”

“Wow, and they can all talk to you?”

“Yeah, it gets pretty loud sometimes. How long was I out?” Akira glanced around the train, “Are we almost there?”

“It’s been over an hour already, so it should pull in any minute.”

“It has?” Akira glanced down as Morgana poked his nose out, “It only felt like a few minutes to me.”

The train hissed to a stop, Akira shook his head to clear his thoughts as Aiba hopped from her seat. Akira followed her, Morgana adjusted himself as Akira swung the bag over his shoulder. This station was sprawling with cafes and small stores, music playing over the loudspeakers added to the general murmur of the crowd.

“You know where we’re going, right?” Akira whispered. 

“Yup,” Aiba already had her phone out, “Gentle’s apartment is this way.”

He wasn’t going to bother asking, so he kept his mouth shut as they cut through the station. The surrounding city was like any you would find in Japan. Skyscrapers jutted out over the horizon, cars thrummed along busy roads, and the streets were awash with a variety of different people.

_“We’re not in Kansas anymore, Joker.”_

Akira barely held back a snort, _“You did not just make that reference, Arsene.”_

 _“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.”_ His voice dripped with sarcasm, _“But we better keep up with Aiba. She’s fast for her size.”_

Aiba followed the map on her phone like a bloodhound would a fresh trail. They barely had time to take in any new sights as they trekked farther from the city center, busy shipping districts turned into quieter neighborhoods, they only stopped to stare up at a row of apartment buildings on the other side of the city.

“Is this it?”

“Yeah…” Aiba swallowed, “This is where he lives. Okay, we can do this. I _can_ do this.”

She took off the shawl and sunglasses before they stepped into the third building. The lobby was vacant as they called an elevator, Aiba’s shaking finger pressed the button for the fourth floor.

“It’s alright.” He put a reassuring hand to her shoulder, “You have this in the bag.”

Her eyes sparkled, “Thanks.”

The elevator dinged, and the door opened to a long carpeted hallway. Akira walked out first, Aiba made to follow, but she stopped after a few steps.

“Akira.” He looked over his shoulder as she stared at the ground, “I want to know something before we go any further.”

“What is it?”

“I….” She looked him straight in the eye, her bag straps creaked as she tightened her grip, “I want to ask you why you were so nice to me.”

“Why?” Akira’s brows shot up.

“Y-yeah. I was in a dark place before I met you, just hopelessly clinging to my computer….” Her pigtails bounced as she shook her head, “I thought my life wasn’t worth it before I found Gentle Criminal, and then you showed me a kindness that I’ve never experienced before. Everyone else always kicked me to the curb, so I was curious.”

He took a moment to think. With a sigh, he answered honestly.

“Because you were exactly like someone I care about, we aren’t actual siblings, but I would consider her my little sister.” He said slowly, “It’s almost ironic how alike you two are, down to the hacking and long hair. Hers was orange, though.”

“Oh,” Aiba stepped up beside him with a smile, “Can I meet her sometime?”

“I’m… afraid that’s not possible.” Pain flashed in his eyes and he looked away, “She’s not around.”

“I’m so sorry.” Aiba inhaled sharply, “I didn’t know.”

“Don’t worry about it. Which apartment is he in?”

“Uh…” Aiba blinked rapidly to hide her tears, “Apartment 6, right over there.”

She stopped in front of the door, her hand lifted, she bit her lip and glanced back at Akira.

“Go ahead. He’s your hero, so you should be the one to knock.”

“R-right…”

Aiba took a moment to psych herself up, she stood up straight and rapped her knuckles on the door. They heard footsteps and it opened to reveal a man with white hair and mustache, he seemed to be taken aback, gaping at the two of them.

“G-Gentle Criminal sir!” Aiba said, “I’m a huge fan! I….I want to help you carve your name in history!!”

The hall was doused in silence.

“Why…” Gentle blinked and cleared his throat, “Why don’t you two come in for tea?”

He held the door open as Aiba and Akira stepped inside. The interior of his apartment was simple but refined, with purple wallpaper and polished wooden panels. They slipped off their shoes and Gentle swept them into a small room with a table and a few red cushioned chairs.

“Feel free to take a seat. I wasn’t expecting any guests today,” Gentle said, “But making tea for someone other than myself is quite exciting! It’ll only be a moment!”

Aiba set her bag down and hopped up on the closest chair. Akira watched Gentle as he went into the kitchen, before sitting down next to her.

“Oh my gosh….” Aiba whispered, her eyes wide, “I can’t believe we’re here.”

“He seems nice enough.” 

Gentle came back in with a tray loaded with teacups, the man moved with an agile grace as he set out the refreshments, Akira picked up on the subtle scent of honey. Aiba was infatuated with everything he did.

“I think we should start by exchanging names.” Gentle said as he took the last seat across from them.

“A-Aiba Manami!”

“Kurusu Akira.”

Akira’s bag moved and the not-cat popped his head out, “Morgana!”

Aiba covered her mouth to stop her laughter, but Akira snorted. Gentle looked in between the three of them, stroking his facial hair.

“Oh my, how rude of me not to foresee a third guest!” He said, “Would you like some tea, my feline friend?”

“Huh, people usually freak out when he talks.” Akira said.

“No, it’s fine.” Morgana crawled out of the bag and settled on Akira’s shoulders, “You were about to tell us your name?”

“Of course,” Gentle took a lavish sip of tea, “The world might know me as Gentle Criminal, but my name is Tobita Danjuro!”

Morgana and Akira exchanged glances. It didn’t seem to be an alias. Akira didn’t say anything as he tried the tea, he masked his surprise as he gently set the cup back down. The pure golden liquid was in league with the quality of his coffee and left a pleasant aftertaste on his palette. 

“Now, may I ask what brings you children here?”

“I’m not a kid!” Aiba said, “I-I’m actually 22 years old!”

“Really?” Akira gawked at her as she blushed.

“Yeah. How old did you think I was?”

“Thirteen, maybe fourteen?” A smirk slid onto his face as he pinched his fingers together and held the minuscule gap by his eye, “You’re just so tiny.”

“Hey!” She reached over and punched him on the arm, “I might be tiny, but I’m mighty too!!”

He laughed as he rubbed his arm, “I don’t doubt that for a second.”

“Apologies, Miss Aiba.” Tobita said with a bow of his head, “I’ve now insulted two of my esteemed guests.”

“It’s fine, really!” She cried, “As for why I’m here, I really do want to help you! You’ve inspired me so much that I could keep on living.”

“I…” Tobita ran a hand through his hair, “My work is very dangerous.”

“I know!” She grasped both of her hands together, eyes watery, “Pleeease? I’m already a criminal, what with all of the hacking that I’ve done. As long as I’m with you Gentle, then nothing can go wrong!”

Tobita contemplated her for several moments, his blue eyes were piercing.

“Very well.”

Aiba placed her hands on the table, “Really!?”

“Indeed, Miss Aiba! I see that you have a certain fire in your eyes, you are already prepared for this path,” Tobita smiled as happy tears came into her eyes, then he glanced at Akira, “And what about you, young man? I don’t think a normal law-abiding citizen would be okay with associating themselves with criminals.”

 _“Trickster,”_ Arsene came to the forefront of his mind, _“I believe we can trust this man with our secret.”_

 _“What? How can you be so sure, Arsene?”_ Akira asked, _“We just met him!”_

_“He is a fellow gentlemen thief, as well as a master of tea. He is quite like us, wouldn’t you think? We need allies, and I believe the Aiba girl would be able to vouch for us.”_

Akira rolled the thought around as he looked at Tobita. The man exhumed the same air as Tsukauchi, Eraserhead, Kaito, Aiba, and so many others they had met, but there was more to it than that. He sensed a certain level of kinship that he hadn’t with anybody else in this world. Was it because they were fellow Gentlemen Thieves like Arsene suggested?

Perhaps Arsene was right.

Akira glanced at Aiba, she stiffened at the sudden intensity in his eyes but gave him a reassuring nod. Morgana gave him a weird look as he stood from his chair.

“I don’t exactly follow the laws, either.” He said, “You might’ve heard about the new vigilante that appeared during the USJ?”

“Ah, I believe his name is Joker.” Tobita stroked his mustache as he studied Akira, “He’s made quite an impact for his short time.”

Akira snorted, then the apartment was alight by a flash of blue flames. Tobita and Aiba covered their eyes at the sudden brightness, but the man gasped as he beheld Joker in full costume. Morgana’s hackles raised, and he looked at Akira as if he had lost his mind.

“My word!”

“Don’t mind him too much.” Morgana sighed as he jumped onto the table, “He just likes to show off.”

Joker put a hand to his chest in mock injury, “How dare you say something like that, Morgana.”

The cat simply licked his paw and cleaned his face, utterly ignoring his partner.

“I helped too!” Aiba said, “We worked together to bring down Silver Falcon! I used my hacking skills to broadcast it all over town. I guess you could say we were partners in crime for a while. I trust him.”

“Is that so?” Tobita’s icy blue eyes met Joker’s flickering gold, “Well, I do recognize a fellow gentleman thief when I see one, so your secret is safe with me! Did you want to join us as well?”

“No, at least not right now.” Joker let his costume burn away, “I just wanted to make sure that Aiba got here safely. Morgana and I should go, though.”

“Y-you’re leaving already?” Panic flashed in her eyes, her brows furrowed in worry.

“We still need to pick up some gear, then get to Hosu before it gets dark.”

“Oh…”

“Well Joker, you are welcome here any time.” Tobita said with a nod, “I’ll be sure to take care of Miss Aiba.”

“I have a feeling that she’ll take good care of you too,” Akira chuckled as Morgana perched on his shoulder, then he looked at Aiba, “I’ll send you a text when we get to Hosu, alright?”

“Okay. Promise me you’ll be careful?”

“We will,” Morgana said, “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get into anything he can’t handle.”

Aiba clasped her hands together as Tobita kindly showed them to the door. They barely took two steps down the hallway before the door flew open and she rushed out.

“Wait!”

Akira stopped mid-stride, “What’s wrong?”

“I just….” Aiba pulled on her pigtails, “I just wanted to tell you two something. Can you lean in closer?”

Akira raised a brow, but knelt in front of her. She searched their faces, her eyes drinking in every detail before she stepped forward and planted a kiss on his cheek, another on Morgana’s forehead. He blinked several times as he put a hand to the spot.

“Thank you, Akira and Morgana.” A genuine smile curved her lips, her eyes sparkled with pure joy, “For everything.”

With that, she turned on her heel and fled into the apartment. He stared at the door with impossibly wide eyes, completely rooted to the spot.

“Hey, earth to Akira!” Morgana said, “We have places to be.”

Akira cleared his throat, “R-right.”

Their hearts felt warm as they left the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hit 20k hits and just over 900 kudos.
> 
> I can't even comprehend that?? When? What? How???


	21. Collapse Of Arrogance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “H-Hold up!” Mona said, his eyes going comically wide, “Can’t we talk about this!? Don’t you think this is a bit too cra-ZY!!!”

The moon hung high over Hosu, a witness to the muted bustle of a city soaked in fear.

Shoto stared into his father’s back, his writhing flames parted the crowds as they marched through the streets. This was Shoto’s second excursion into this city in as many nights, he thought his father would teach him about harnessing the unwieldy power of flame, not go chasing after the Hero Killer in some single-minded obsession to bring him down.

He kept his expression neutral, the whispers of surrounding Endeavor fans haunted the streets, the snap of phone cameras was a constant drone against his eardrums. How any hero dealt with this kind of attention all the time bewildered him, but he wasn’t about to sympathize with his personal tormentor. Maybe the swirling flames were a saving grace, that or his surly reputation towards his fans kept them at a distance.

Another hour of mindless trudging through the city passed, like mice skittering through a maze with no sight nor scent of their reward. His father’s scowl deepened as the night dragged on, his fists were clenched dangerously, wisps of smoke trailed from them. Any villains had gone to ground, there was no trouble to spice up the monotony. No sign of Stain, either. They had just crossed an intersection when he caught a sliver of movement on the rooftops. He glanced over and froze in his tracks.

There, perched on the corner of a building like a gargoyle, was Joker.

The moon outlined him in silver, a breeze gently ruffled his long coattails and his unkempt hair. Joker’s cat was curled around his shoulders, glaring. Their startling blue and steely silver eyes met his own. Neither of them moved, each held their breath, but Joker’s red-gloved hand reached down for the hilt of his dagger.

Was it a silent challenge, or a threat?

Joker’s eyes stabbed into him like knives, as if waiting for Shoto to make a sudden move or alert Endeavor, but he didn’t, he stayed rooted to the spot. Shoto’s pounding heart counted the seconds that ticked by, timed slowed and the outside world faded away until it was just the three of them locked in an eternal staring contest. Shoto slowly blinked and tilted his head minutely, relaxing his rigid stature.

Something softened in Joker’s eyes and a cocky smirk broke through, his stiff shoulders drained of tension.

“Shoto!”

The rest of the world snapped back into place as Shoto whipped his head towards Endeavor, whose face was twisted in a sneer. 

“Don’t fall behind! You have no time for idle distractions, otherwise we could miss something important.”

He kept a straight face and nodded, only risking a glance when Endeavor turned his back. Joker was gone, vanished from the rooftops like a phantom. Excitement bubbled underneath his stoic expression as he caught up to his father, but that begged the question.

What was Joker doing in Hosu?

~*~*~*~

“I can’t believe he didn’t rat us out.” Mona said, “His distrust of you was so obvious during the USJ attack.”

“He seems different than before. Something must’ve changed between then and now.” Joker hopped over the chasm between one building and the next, “It’s almost like…”

“Like he had a change of heart?”

“Something like that.” Joker shook his head as he stopped at the ledge, the tips of his boots hung off the sheer drop.

The skeleton of an unfinished apartment building rose over them, steel spires and rafters jutted into the night sky. A crane sat at the top, its folded arm was the highest point they could find in this part of the city, the view of the lights alone was breathtaking. Joker flexed his left wrist, where a leather and metal contraption was concealed under his sleeve.

“You might want to hold on, Mona.”

Mona hunkered down and dug his claws into Joker’s shoulder.

He smirked as he flung out his wrist and a silver wire shot out, spiraling through the air until the hook impaled the concrete. Their hearts went into their throats as the mechanism reeled them up like fish, the wind howled in their ears as they were vaulted several feet in the air, Joker grasped the ledge of a window and pulled himself inside. The grappling hook disengaged with a satisfying _clink_ and the wire snapped back into the mechanism.

“Giran wasn’t kidding.” Joker said as he rubbed his wrist, “It’s not bad for something so small.”

“Hmph,” Mona jumped from his shoulder, “I think I could do a better job.”

“Don’t tell me you’re _jealous,_ Mona.”

“Of course not!” Mona stuck his nose in the air, his tail flicked, “I’m just saying that I could do better If I had the proper materials. That’s the truth, you know!”

“Sure it is. Although, it wouldn’t hurt to look for other resources.” Joker took a glance around the unfinished building, “Our stock is limited, so we need somewhere to replenish it. I’m sure Giran wouldn’t mind supplying everything for the right price, but I don’t want to invest too much into him.”

“Yeah, especially after he acted strange when you wouldn’t sell him any more items. Having more sources would benefit us in the long run, too.”

Joker frowned. It was also true that Giran didn’t have the same aura as Tsukauchi, Eraserhead, Midoriya, or anybody else he would’ve forged a not-confidant with. He would still keep an eye on the shady man, but he wouldn’t feel bad if they decided to cut ties altogether.

Giran was not Iwai, after all.

“Well,” Mona sighed and stepped towards the hallway, “I’m going to patrol the lower floors to make sure we’re alone. Think you can stay out of trouble while I’m gone?”

“I’ll be sure to have a party,” Joker waved his hands around the room, “Maybe set the whole building on fire just to spice it up a bit.”

Mona rolled his eyes, but at least he had a smile on his face as he left.

Joker sighed when he was alone, he rolled his shoulders to get a crick out of his neck, then his eyes glossed over the room.

The interior of this unfinished construct was bland, gray walls with swipes of plaster here and there. A few metal rods and beams were still exposed to open air, power tools lay in unorganized piles, tarps covered what little space was left. Acrid dust hung in the air. Whatever the reason, nobody has been working on this place for a while. It was the perfect spot to hunker down after hours of scouting the city for a serial killer. He tapped the ground with his foot, if only to watch the vibrant ripples trail across the dull concrete, he scraped his boot against the floor and released a bone-deep sigh.

“Welp, I’m already bored,” He whispered to nobody, “Anyone want to practice while Mona is gone?” 

Joker grinned at the buzz of activity in his mind.

_“Oooh, me! Me!!”_

_“I do not think it wise to practice with me in such a small space.”_

_“Pfft, that’s an understatement, grandpa!”_

_“Bah, this place is far too tiny for my wings as well.”_

_“Perhaps the Trickster would like to dance with me?”_

_“Why dance when we-hee can make mischief together, ho!?”_

_“Me want to play with Master!!”_

_“I don’t suppose you’ll choose me, Trickster? It gets dreadfully boring in here sometimes.”_

Joker’s grin melted into an honest smile. Their excitement buzzed pleasantly through his mind, but one was being quiet, he allowed his silence to be overtaken as he watched with muted interest. It was almost like a father watching his children from afar. Joker held up his hand and they quieted.

“Arsene!”

Fiery wind ruffled his clothes as Arsene was pulled into reality, the brilliant blue flames were extinguished with a mighty beat of his wings, azure ash added a splash of color and any lingering dust was obliterated. There wasn’t much room to float around, so Arsene planted his heels on the ground and tipped his hat.

“So, thou has finally summoned the Pillager of Twilight once more?” Arsene teased with a head tilt, “A wise choice, Trickster. For a second I thought you had forgotten about me.”

“Hey, nobody else got to wreak havoc on a police station,” Joker snickered and shoved his hands in his pockets, “But it’s always good to see you in person, Arsene.”

“Of course, likewise,” Arsene cleared his throat as Joker’s chest was filled with warmth that wasn’t his own, “Now, let us test the strength of our bond! You know what to do, correct?”

Joker nodded and closed his eyes.

He furrowed his brows as he concentrated until he saw the manifestation of their bond. It was a length of chain, black as pitch as if it was forged in the bowels of hell itself, metallic rattles and a strange chilliness seeped into him as he imagined himself grasping it. He gasped at the freezing river of power that flowed up his arm, his whole body stiffened. This feeling was… familiar.

It was exactly the same as when-

_“My control shall not bow down to Ruin, nor shall the will of the masses overcome my power! I am the ultimate truth of this world, and will not lose to the likes of you mortals!”_

_“Heh, the vanity of this god knows no bounds! Show this failure what it feels like to be purged! Come, unleash my full power!!”_

_“Wait. He’s doing something- GET DOWN NOW!!”_

“Trickster-”

_“What did he do!? I can’t feel my persona!”_

_“Mine is gone too…”_

_“The sin of rebelling against a god is severe. As punishment, I banish you to other worlds unknown!”_

_“This isn’t possible!”_

_“What is it Oracle!? What do you see!?”_

“Snap out of it, Trickster!”

_“You have no means of escape, humans. Accept your fate with dignity!”_

_“Everyone, hold on!!”_

_“Joker!”_

_“QUEEN!”_

_Yaldabaoth’s laughter still haunts his every waking moment-_

The voices stopped as his grip on Arsene’s chain was ripped away. He doubled over, his gloved hand clawed at the front of his chest as he struggled for breath. It was as if a hole was blown straight through his heart, the pain was _excruciating,_ and it suffocated him until black spots entered his vision. The ringing in his ears was too loud, a cold trickle of sweat beaded his forehead.

A pair of large hands gripped his shoulders, the claws poking into his back somehow grounded him.

“Breathe,” Arsene’s steady voice broke through the haze, “In and out.”

He sucked in a shaky breath, then wheezed it back out. The hands on his shoulders tightened, forcing him back into reality as he struggled for air, gulping in gasps and straining it out through the ball of emotions lodged in his throat. The ringing slowly faded, his vision cleared as Arsene gently instructed him.

Joker blinked several times before he straightened. All of his energy had been sapped, his mind felt as if it were trapped in disorientating static. He shook his head and looked up to Arsene, his gloved hand still grasped over the pain in his heart that sharpened with every beat.

“What… what happened?”

Arsene was silent for a moment, his iron grip was still on Joker’s shoulders as his wings circled around protectively.

“You had a flashback,” Arsene said, “Perhaps the feeling of our combined power made you relive _that_.”

“...Oh.”

The others were dead silent as if a gaping void had infested his mind space, but they were all watching, their unwavering concern trickled over him and made a shiver crawl up his spine. He barely managed to suppress the shiver. It rather felt as if he was under a microscope, he didn’t like it one bit. 

“I’ll…” Joker ran a hand through his hair and forced a shaky smile, “I’m fine now.”

Arsene scrutinized him from head to toe, the mask of fire and brimstone showed no emotions, but he didn’t need any facial expressions to feel his unease. Joker was about to step away when he was pulled forward into an embrace, one of Arsene’s hands rested on the back of his head, the other pressed on his shoulder blades. Warmth and the whisper of overlapping feathers surrounded him like a wool blanket.

“Did you forget our vow?” Arsene’s voice was gentle, “I am thou, thou art I. Your pain is my own, so don’t pretend that it doesn’t exist. Even the leader of the Phantom Thieves can show weakness from time to time. There are many people in this world with whom you’ve struck a bond with, and you have me and the others at your side. Don’t shoulder this burden alone.”

Joker’s smile fell and he glared at the ground. Certain thoughts had plagued him for weeks, ever since they were thrown into this world with no way to get back. He spoke before he could stop himself.

“I… what if I fail everybody again? What happens if we can’t ever go home, what if Yaldabaoth has already won? All of this happened because I wasn’t fast enough, I wasn’t _strong_ enough!”

“Trickster,” Joker looked up at Arsene’s burning eyes, “Don’t forget what happened back in Kamoshida’s dungeon. Did you give up then, just as your friend was about to die? No! Remember your companions’ sacrifices, remember why you chose to fight against fate! If you find yourself lost, then use their willpower to bolster your own. Temper your rage and show the strength of your resolve as the leader of the Phantom Thieves!” 

Joker inhaled sharply.

The thought of his friends, his _true_ family, sparked warm tears. They fell freely as he put his forehead to Arsene’s chest and wept silently, Arsene would deny the tightness in his throat as he and all of the other personas shared the Trickster’s sorrow, but that sadness gave way to a flicker of strength. A silent promise blossomed within them, a pledge to repay Yaldabaoth a hundredfold for the pain he caused. 

Time ticked away within this dull gray room as he finally pulled himself together. Arsene relented as Joker pulled back, face tear-stained but he had a tiny smile that reached his eyes.

“Thanks.” His blood-red gloves wiped away the excess tears, “I’ll be okay now, for real this time.”

Arsene finally let go, crossing his arms as his wings fell back to their natural place.

“You should get some rest. We have quite a trial ahead and you need your sleep.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Joker smirked despite the exhaustion, “Who knew you were such a mother hen?”

“I am purely your other self,” Arsene’s laughter bounced around the room, “So what does that say about you, Trickster?”

Arsene vanished before Joker could answer, though his psyche was consumed with the persona’s smugness. Joker shook his head with a sigh, then finally released his costume. He lifted his glasses and scrubbed the remainder of his breakdown from his face, the last thing he wanted was to tip off Morgana.

A few more minutes pass and the not-cat pranced back in.

“Well, I scouted around and we’re alone in here!” Morgana rubbed against his ankles, “So it should be safe to call it a night.”

“Nobody was here last night, either.”

“Yeah, but it never hurts to check.”

Akira snorted as they wandered down the hall and to another room. This one had a blank mattress shoved into the corner, with a thin pillow and blanket that was no more than a rag. Akira’s bag was a crumpled pile next to it. This room was the least drafty and it was a decent number of floors up, so nobody would be able to sneak up on them.

“Remind me again why we can’t just check into a hotel?”

“Call it a hunch.” Akira shrugged as he sat down on the mattress, “We shouldn’t leave any traces that we were in Hosu, even under a false identity. It’s not worth the risk.”

“I…. guess you’re right.” Morgana wrinkled his nose, “I think?”

Akira simply rolled his eyes as he dug through the bag for their supper. Morgana was rewarded with a can of tuna pate, while he got some onigiri, they were a bit stale compared to this morning’s breakfast. They ate in silence, and although it wasn’t _uncomfortable_ per say, Morgana kept looking at him strangely between bites. The quiet made worms wriggle under his skin, until he couldn’t take it anymore.

He put down his onigiri and fished out the map of Hosu and a growing collection of colorful pens.

“What are you doing?”

“Marking where we patrolled tonight,” Akira scribbled over certain streets with a red pen, others in green, “Yatagarasu didn’t find anything in his area either.”

“Stain is proving tricky to find.” Morgana said with a sigh, his dinner forgotten, “It’s too bad we can’t just invade his Palace. We are certain that he’s still in Hosu, right? He tends to move on after a few targets.”

“According to Aiba, he should have one or two more targets before going to another city.” Akira hummed, “We’ll stop him before that happens.”

Morgana watched as Akira circled one district in red, the next in green. Akira dropped the pens, watching them roll over the map.

“We’ll cover that district tomorrow, Yatagarasu will circle the next one over.”

_“Understood, Trickster.”_

Akira cleaned everything up when they were done, then took off his glasses and fell back onto the lumpy mattress. He lay on his side and Morgana immediately crawled in between his arms, snuggling right next to Akira’s hurting heart.

“Hey…”

“Yeah?”

Morgana stared into his eyes, he opened and closed his mouth several times before he actually spoke.

“I’ll always be here for you no matter what.” Morgana head bumped him on the chin, “Don’t you ever forget it.”

“I know.” Akira held Morgana close as his eyes drifted shut, though a tiny smirk broke through, “Now hush and get some sleep, you seem pretty tired after today.”

Morgana scoffed, “How dare you use my own words against me!”

He waited for Akira’s reply, but it never came. Akira’s breathing evened out as he fell asleep on the spot. Morgana’s ears drooped as he snuggled closer to his partner, a jumble of emotions surrounded his heart like thorny bramble.

“Oh, Ren.” Morgana whispered as he closed his eyes, “What am I going to do with you?”

~*~*~*~

Dusk painted the city with fading golden rays.

The dying light was a beacon. A final bastion between the day to day life of normal citizens and the gateway before the dark and seductive denizens that crawled out from the gutters. A city this large should be drowning with small-time hoodlums, but they had yet to encounter anybody.

No criminals or drug dealers, not even a lone thief attempting to steal an old lady’s purse. If anything, they expected at least _some_ action, not the scarily vacant alleyways. Stray cats and the occasional raccoon dug through the refuge, but no sign of any dubious characters. 

“You know, Mona,” Joker stood on the corner of a rooftop, watching the fiery sky, “This area is calm, too calm. It’s boring!”

Mona chuckled, “At least we had shadows to fight during our time in Palaces.”

“I blame Endeavor.”

“It makes sense,” Mona shuffled his paws on Joker’s shoulder, “Normal criminals have gone to ground with the number two hero in town, or maybe they’re hiding because they’re afraid of Stain.”

“Probably a mix of both.” Joker sighed as hopped over to the next building, “Let’s-”

 _“Trickster!”_ Joker froze at Yatagarasu’s urgency, _“I discovered something, and you’re not going to like it.”_

_“You found Stain?”_

_“I believe so, his soul is drenched with the blood of innocents and sinners alike.”_ Apprehension trickled through their bond, _“But he’s not alone. Shigaraki and Kurogiri are with him. Stain has parted ways, but the man-child is planning something. What do you wish for me to do?”_

Joker glanced at Mona, who watched him carefully.

“What happened?”

“Yatagarasu found Stain, but he’s with those two weirdos from the USJ.”

“They’re here?” Mona asked with wide eyes, “But why are they with Stain?”

_“Trickster! The man-child has summoned three Nomu!”_

“Nomu?”

“You mean that huge monster with its brain sticking out!?”

“And three of them,” Joker cursed under his breath as he took off.

“What are you doing!? This might be our best chance to confront Stain before it’s too late!”

“I have a bad feeling that the Nomu will do something a lot worse than Stain,” He said, “We can’t let them hurt people!”

“I…. I’ll follow your call, leader.” Mona hunkered down on Joker, “Let’s hurry!”

 _“How do you expect to make is across the city at such a slow pace?”_ Seth purred, _“We can soar through the skies upon my wings, Trickster!”_

Joker skid to a stop, _“Yatagarasu?”_

 _“We are all one, Trickster.”_ Yatagarasu said, _“Seth already knows where to go.”_

Joker grinned as Yatagarasu fell back, “Mona, don’t hate me.”

“Oh no, I know that look,” Mona said with narrowed eyes, “What are you planning? It won’t get us killed, will it?”

“Maybe, but it’ll be a lot more fun.”

A fantastical pillar of twisting blue flames shot into the sky, it drowned out the twilight’s final splashes of gold and painted the world with its blinding light. Heat spilled out into the night as Seth emerged, his bulk left no room to maneuver on the small rooftop, his wings and claws grated into the stones and left gouges. His tail batted with excitement, it slammed into the next building’s wall, bricks rained down and clattered into the alley below.

“Well?” The god of storms and chaos lowered his head to the ground, “Get on, Trickster! A great hunt awaits!!”

“N-now wait a minute!” Mona’s jaw dropped and his fur stood on end, “You can’t be serious.”

Joker’s grin widened as he climbed on Seth’s neck, nestled in between the two tiny wings sprouting from his jagged crown of horns. He tucked Mona safely under his arm and grasped Seth’s horns to stabilize himself, a giddiness bubbled up as the dragon shuffled his wings. Seth bore their extra weight as he swung his head over the side of the building, the sky called to him. His muscles tensed when he raised his wings like great blackened sails.

“H-Hold up!” Mona said, his eyes going comically wide, “Can’t we talk about this!? Don’t you think this is a bit too cra-ZY!!!”

Seth shot off into the heavens with a mighty wing beat, Mona’s screams were snuffed out by the raging winds around them, the powerful _thud_ of Seth’s wings struck the air. Joker just couldn’t help himself. The unadulterated sense of _freedom_ and _power_ rushed through him like a shot of adrenaline, the howling gales blew his hair back and whipped at his coattails. Seth grinned as Joker let go of his horns and splayed his arms out.

“You now know what it feels like to be master over the skies, Trickster!”

Joker’s pure jovial laughter was lost amidst the pandemonium, “Look Mona, no hands!”

“Would you cut that out!?” Mona snapped, “Do you want to fall to your death!?”

“Oh, come on!” Joker snickered as he grasped Seth’s horns, “You’re no fun!”

“ _Excuse me_ for wanting to keep you alive!” Mona rolled his eyes and batted Joker’s cheek with his tail.

The rooftops below were but a blur as Seth banked to the right, cries of shock and surprise echoed when they soared right over a busy street. Cars screeched to a halt when they flew over, a rush of air followed them like a storm front, the people shielded their faces as the blast of wind buffeted them. Endeavor swore when his flames were almost blown out like a candle.

He tried to shoot the dragon out of the sky with a fireball. The attack hit it square in the chest, but the fire washed harmlessly over its skin like water. Seth laughed as they left the flame hero in the dust.

“You alright, Mona!?” Joker had thrown his body over the not-cat.

“I’m fine, the fire didn’t touch me!” Mona’s claws dug into Seth’s leathery skin, “Are we almost there yet!?”

“Yes!” Seth bellowed, “The prey is-”

An explosion rocked the city to it’s core. Seth splayed his wings and slowed to a stop, they hovered high over the city as smoke clouded the night sky, a heated glow spilled out into the streets like rivers of lava. Screams of terror reached their ears as the drifting plumes burned their eyes.

“What now?” Mona said, “What’s going on!?”

“The scent of the Nomu is strong, Trickster!” Seth snorted and shook his head, “They are the cause of this. Ah, what I wouldn’t give to challenge them, it might be a worthy battle!”

“You want to?” Joker teased.

Seth’s sunny eyes widened as elation flooded his veins. He snapped his jaws together with a guttural _crunch_ and his tail thrashed through the air.

“Nothing would please me more, Trickster!” Seth lurched forward and released a trumpeting roar, “I’ll devour them!!”

“What about Stain or Shigaraki?” Mona asked, “Shouldn’t we go after them?”

“A lot more people will get hurt because of Handy Man and Smokey’s Nomu.” The nearing flames cast them with fierce highlights, “Besides, these _heroes_ probably don’t have what it takes to bring them down, so we have to show them how it’s done. We’ll find Stain after.”

“Got it.” Mona’s eyes shown with determination, “I’ll support you the best way I can!”

Seth dove through the smoke cloud, another roar drowned out the rest of the chaos. They only had a few seconds to drink in the disarray, from the fire spewing out of the buildings, to citizens cowering over the sidewalks. Any heroes froze and gaped up at them.

If they were a moment earlier, they would’ve seen a familiar head of green hair run back into the alleyways.

The Nomu stood tall over everything, their inhuman croaks and gurgles were like nails down a chalkboard. Joker was filled with Seth’s battle driven euphoria as he chose the first target. The green skinned Nomu, with four eyes planted in its brain, looked up as the dragon’s shadow pooled around it. It witnessed its own demise as Seth _dropped_ out of the sky, the landing was louder than a crack of thunder, the earth shattered under his wings and kicked up a dust cloud.

Joker hopped down and eyed the unmoving Nomu crushed at the bottom of the crater, wiping the dust from his coat.

The world froze, countless eyes were upon the strange boy with the cat on his shoulder, flicking between them and the mighty dragon that just took down a Nomu. Joker pet Seth’s snout as another Nomu growled at them, this one was as big and muscular as the one at the USJ.

USJ Junior had no face, nor eyes protruding from its brain. Scars littered its body as it lumbered closer. Joker grinned and waved his red-gloved hand towards it, his boundless poise never wavered at the approaching giant.

“Seth, you know what to do!”

His commanding voice cut through the roaring flames and the heroes’ panicked shouts like a knife, unknowingly sparking hope in the eyes of surrounding people caught up in this mess. Seth roared his challenge to the Nomu, then planted his spiked wings into the ground and flung himself forward. USJ Junior raised a meaty fist and punched Seth with a sickening _crack,_ but Seth dug his claws into the earth and met the hit head on.

The behemoths’ power clashed in the middle, Seth pulled his lips back in a frightening sneer as the Nomu’s punch did nothing.

“You call that an attack!?” Seth roared, “I’ll show you what real power looks like, whelp!”

USJ Junior croaked when Seth flung his body around and used his tail like a whip, the Nomu was thrown back into one of the burning buildings. The force of it made the entire wall crumble, embers and debris peppered the air.

Seth snapped his jaws, then looked skyward to the final Nomu. The winged creature shrieked in fear, flapping its pale yellow wings frantically. It dropped the victim and fled over the rooftops. Mona’s magic charged the air as an emerald green whirlwind cushioned the man’s fall.

Seth spread his wings and was about to give chase, but Joker stopped him.

“Let it go.” He said, “We need to put out these fires.”

“Hmph, abandoning the hunt leaves a foul taste on my tongue.”

Seth snorted but didn’t object as he vanished into cinders. Joker ignored the gasps at the dragon’s sudden disappearance, he looked over his shoulder to a hero with a blue finned helmet, he used water from a crushed fire hydrant to douse the buildings, to little success.

“What should we do?” Mona whispered, “My wind will only make the fires worse.”

Joker’s grin was still plastered on his face as his eyes flooded with gold, his piercing gaze was hotter than the licking flames.

“Titania!”

Cerulean and crimson pyres danced together under the full moon, the queen of fairies appeared, the scent of fresh morning dew drifted on the hot breeze. Azure embers fluttered around her like miniature stars, highlighting her gossamer wings and shimmering emerald dress.

“You know what to do.”

“Are you ready?” She winked at Joker and twirled around.

Enchanted ice erupted through the streets and encased the burning buildings in a layer of pristine diamonds, the sweltering heat was blown away by glacial blasts of air. The ice hissed and steamed, but the fires were extinguished.

Silence reigned for a few moments as Titania tucked her hair behind her ears.

“Amazing…”

“He took out the Nomu like they were nothing.”

“And put out the fires!”

“Who is he?”

Other whispers permeated the street as Titania floated to Joker’s side, she matched his triumphant smile with one of her own.

“I have to admit, that was pretty cool,” Mona whispered as he rubbed his cheek on Joker’s.

“Of course it was,” Titania twirled her locks around her fingers, “He summoned _me_ after all.”

“You!” They turned to see the blue finned hero approaching, “My name is Manual, you really saved us back there.”

“You’re welcome.” Joker tilted his head to the side with a smirk, “But you still have some work to do, Manual. These civilians need to be evacuated.”

“Right,” Manual eyed Titania, who didn’t bother to conceal her distaste towards him, “What about you? Who are you?”

Titania huffed and crossed her arms.

Joker stiffened when they heard a chocked warble from behind. The green skinned Nomu somehow survived, it crawled out of the crater on its hands and knees. Titania’s face twisted in disgust as it dared to reach for the Trickster, her power spiked and she was about to put it out of its misery.

Permanently.

That was until there was a sudden rush of air. A yellow and white blur collided with the Nomu’s head. The monster was thrown back into the crater, unconscious. The blur landed beside them, revealing a tiny old man in a yellow jumpsuit, his white cape billowed around him, he blinked up at them and grinned.

“You zygotes need to pay more attention to your surroundings!” The old man tapped his cane on the ground and sighed, “I swear you youngsters are too cocky for your own good.”

 _“Be wary of this one, Trickster.”_ Titania narrowed her eyes and whispered to his mind, _“There’s more to the old one than meets the eye.”_

Joker studied the old man. There was a certain sharpness to his eyes, the way he carried himself was like that of an experienced veteran. Mona pressed himself into Joker’s fluffy hair, eyes narrowed. The old man’s gaze swept over the icy landscape.

“Well, don’t just stand there!” He barked, making Manual jump, “We have civilians to evacuate.”

“Yes, sir!” Manual saluted, then looked to the group of pros and civilians behind him, “We’ll follow the police guidelines and get everyone to safety. What’s your name, sir?”

The old hero glowered, “Gran Torino.”

Manual nodded, “By the way, you haven’t seen my intern, have you? He disappeared shortly before this whole mess began, his name is Tenya and his costume resembles a suit of armor.” 

Joker raised a brow and exchanged glances with Mona, “No.”

Gran Torino shook his head, and Manual sighed, “Alright, I’ll look for him after I get these people evacuated.”

Titania stiffened as her ears picked up the unnatural crackle of ice.

“We have company.” She drifted closer to Joker, “This Nomu is tougher than it looks.”

True to her word, the faceless Nomu finally emerged back onto the streets. A few shards of ice and broken cement clung to its skin, but its wounds were regenerating.

“Go.” Joker held his arm out to Gran Torino and Manual, “I’ll distract it while you flee.”

“Ha!” Gran Torino grinned, “As if. I haven’t had excitement like this in years.”

“We’d only slow you down,” Manual and the other heroes formed a protective wall as the citizens scurried away from danger, “We’re counting on you!”

Joker sighed in relief as they disappeared down the street. USJ Junior gurgled and tore the icy chunks from its flesh, its wounds stitched back together in seconds. Mona scoffed and glared at the Nomu, which only made Gran Torino raise a brow at him.

He would help the hero with the last Nomu, as long as they didn’t get recognized, he flexed the hand with the grappling hook hidden underneath his sleeve, eyes scanned over the rooftops. It never hurt to have an immediate escape. 

“Well, let’s get-”

_“Look out, big brother!!”_

A stream of fire shot through the air. The blast hit USJ Junior and threw him back into the building. Joker frowned and turned to look over his shoulder. Endeavor stood at the opposite side of the street, hands smoking. The ice melted under his feet.

 _“It’s… it’s him!!”_ Alice’s power trickled into his mask, _“I told him to be nice to my big brother! I’ll make him pay!”_

 _“Alice, no!”_ Arsene yanked her back, _“Stand down, your power is not what the Trickster needs right now!”_

 _“But…”_ Alice’s rage was colder than arctic ice, _“But I warned him. I want him to suffer!”_

_“No, little one. Leave him to me!”_ Cerberus said, _“His flame shall not burn me!”_

Alice scowled, and she whisked off into the depths of Joker’s mindscape without another word.

Joker smirked as he met eyes with Endeavor, “Cerberus!”

Titania disappeared, Cerberus rose in her place and stepped in front of Joker protectively.

Rage flashed over the hero’s face as he thrust his arm out, a stream of red hot fire reflected within the icy mirrors. Gran Torino cursed as he soared to safety, he landed next to Endeavor and smacked the man’s leg with his cane.

“Endeavor!” He shouted, “What are you doing!?”

“Eliminating a criminal.” Endeavor cut off the stream, “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, esteemed elder, since he manipulated you. That boy is Joker, a vigilante wanted by the Hero Commission.”

“The one who took down Silver Falcon?” The old man’s eyes flew wide open, he whipped around to face the unharmed vigilante and his beast, “I guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover.” 

“Hmph,” Cerberus yawned as tendrils of steam wafted from him, “Even my flames are hotter than these embers.”

“You’ll be safer on Cerberus.” Joker whispered to Mona.

The not-cat grimaced, but hopped from his usual perch. Mona looked rather adorable when he climbed on Cerberus, like a tiny lion cub pestering its parent. Endeavor sneered as Joker scratched Cerberus behind the ear, then stepped around the beast to give them his best shit eating grin.

“I was wondering if anybody would actually recognize me.” Joker said, he gave Endeavor the two-finger salute, “Flameo, hotman!”

Endeavor’s eye twitched, his flames fluctuated as his hands curled into fists. Gran Torino held out his cane to stop him from firing, then glanced over at Joker with narrowed eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Joker splayed his arms out, his devious smirk split his face in two, “Not going to attack? Why don’t you use your flames again, _hero_?”

Endeavor’s temper boiled over and the whole street was alight with a righteous blaze. Gran Torino swore, but it was already too late to act. Ice melted into puddles, which then evaporated into steam by the volcanic heat, the vigilante was utterly consumed in the white-hot blaze.

Endeavor cut off his attack with a smirk of his own.

Both of the heroes startled when laughter echoed from the pyre. A shape emerged from it, the boy with glowing sunset eyes and a grin to match his undying gall. He was _untouched._ There were no burns or any sign of injury, despite the cement melting at his feet. Joker looked like the Prince of Hell, with how the fires danced around him and shadowed his glowing eyes.

A true master of the underworld.

Color drained from Endeavor’s face, his eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Joker placed his hands on his hips and leaned forward, “Is that all you have, number two?”

“If…if you know what’s good for you kid,” A healthy mix of disbelief and awe came into the old hero’s eyes, but he went into a battle stance, “You would turn yourself in.”

“That sounds fun and all,” Joker’s smirk grew and he bowed like a true showman, “But I have bigger fish to fry. See ya!”

Joker backflipped onto Cerberus, snowy white fur spilled from between his fingers as he clung to the persona’s mane. Concrete scraped underneath Cerberus’s claws as he bounded down the street, his steely tail flailed behind them. USJ Junior emerged from the broken building as they sped passed.

“I’ll get the kid, you handle the Nomu.”

“Fine.” Endeavor growled as the old hero shot off.

Endeavor launched himself at USJ Junior, their fists colliding in a brilliant display of power. Mona snickered at Gran Torino as he shot towards them like a missile.

“I don’t think so.”

Magical winds knocked the old man from the air, Joker felt a little twinge as he plummeted back to the ground, locked in place by a ruthless tornado. 

“I’ll keep him there until we get away,” Mona said, “Hopefully the Nomu keeps Endeavor busy.”

They left the sounds of battle behind and slinked into deserted streets, Cerberus slowed to a stop when he deemed it safe enough.

“You were amazing back there.” Joker patted the massive beast’s shoulder, “All of you were.”

Seth snorted and Titania chuckled. Yatagarasu ruffled his feathers and puffed his chest out in pride.

“Always happy to serve, Master!!” Cerberus said, his tail wagging, “It was really fun!”

They hopped down from Cerberus’s back and the guard dog bowed his head before becoming nothing more than embers himself. Other voices welcomed Cerberus back to the mind space, but Joker only had eyes for the rooftops. The grappling hook hurled them to the top of the closest building, he just dusted himself off when Mona spoke.

“That battle is bound to get attention,” He said, “Not to mention how we flew halfway across the city on Seth.”

“The news stations are going to have fun tonight.”

Joker half shrugged, then turned to look out into the city. It was…. rather devastating. The night sky was snuffed out by great pillars of smoke, sirens rang out across the city locked in an aura of panic and fear. Hot winds disheveled his hair, if that was even possible. He dug into his pouches for his phone.

“What are you doing?” Mona asked.

“I’m sure Aiba will be able to give us the full scope of what’s going on. Maybe she’ll know where…” Joker furrowed his brow at a new text from Midoriya, sent only minutes ago, “What’s this? A location? Why would he send all of his contacts a random location?”

“Hey, weren’t we in that area last night?” Mona peeked at the screen, “That _is_ here in Hosu,right?”

“What’s Midoriya doing in Hosu? Why did he…?”

Dread spiked in his heart and he cursed under his breath. The phone was thrown back into his pocket as he took off towards Midoriya’s location.

“Ahh!” Mona clung onto his shoulder for dear life, “Where are we going!?”

“I have a hunch,” Joker scowled and forced his legs to move faster, “That I know _exactly_ where Stain is.”

Mona gaped at him, but he met Joker’s eyes with a determination of his own.

“Alright then, let’s do this!”

“We’ll get there faster on Seth.”

“F-fine.”Mona bristled, his ears went flat against his head. “The faster the better.”

Seth’s excitement redoubled when he was summoned and they took off into the sky, he yearned to taste the blood of his prey.

Joker hoped they would make it in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arsene is officially Bird Dad.
> 
> One thing I would like to point out is the skill Titania used, it's actually a skill from SMT Nocturne called Glacial Blast. Along with her 'Are you ready?' Now would be a good point to say that I have taken a few creative liberties with some of the personas, including a slightly larger stock.
> 
> We also made it to TV Tropes??


	22. Blood Of Villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The role of Leader fell onto his shoulders so naturally, the faces of the U.A. teens blurred into that of his friends, if only for a fraction of a second.

[FAN](https://twitter.com/aamarisarts/status/1287568762716250112) [ART](https://pinkypastal.tumblr.com/post/624638730896097280/can-he-just-say-hes-a-huge-fan-fanart-for-doth)!!

~*~*~*~

Bloodlust cascaded over the alleyway in raging waves, it drowned everything from the stones to the garbage bins and refuse, even the stars above were suffocated by it. The children soaked in terror didn’t pay attention to the skies above, every fiber of their being was fighting for the next heartbeat, the next breath.

_Thud._

Ice and fire danced in harmony, but it didn’t stop the onslaught of a desperate serial killer, his jagged blade sang the song that summoned countless bloodbaths. Midoriya collapsed as he was paralyzed, the wall offered no comfort as he watched on in horror, the mighty sword was about to cleave his friend in half.

_Thud._

“Todoroki!”

“Recipro Burst!!”

The _snap_ of metal echoed as Stain’s sword broke amidst engine fire. Iida twisted around, his other leg spewed smoke and flame as he kicked Stain with his full power. Stain was thrown back in a hail of flowing scarves as he slid to a stop, his expression cut into a dangerous frown as he dropped the sword with a clatter.

_Thud._

“Iida!” Midoriya's eyes teared up in relief.

“You can move!” Todoroki sighed, a knot in his chest unfurled, “His quirk isn’t so great after all.”

“Todoroki, Midoriya,” Iida hung his head in shame, “This has nothing to do with you, and I apologize.”

The bloodlust spiked as Stain’s eyes glowed with malice. He whipped out a serrated dagger and lunged forward, but he never managed more than a single step.

 _THUD._

The odd pressure that had hounded their ears increased tenfold. A massive black shadow fell over the alley, followed by a stormy winds. Todoroki and Iida shielded their faces against it, but Midoriya and the unresponsive hero were left helpless. Another form dropped from the sky, draped in the silver light of the moon. Joker plummeted like a fallen angel, golden eyes crinkled from the grin upon his face as he pointed a gun at Stain. 

Gunshots pierced the air.

Stain growled as he backpedaled several steps, a hiss of pain escaped him as one bullet pierced his shoulder. The wind died down as the vigilante landed as graceful as a dancer, weapons gleaming under the bleeding moon.

“Sorry for the delay, everyone.” Joker stood fully, holding the smoking gun, “It’s not a real party unless somebody arrives fashionably late.” 

“J-Joker!?” Midoriya’s jaw dropped as relief flooded his eyes, “What are you d-doing here!?”

Iida tensed, “The same vigilante from the USJ…?”

Todoroki said nothing, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

“Joker?” Stain took a step closer, eyes narrowed, “You’re the one that brought down Silver Falcon.”

The man looked worse than Joker imagined, scarves hung around his neck and his mask tied a mess of black hair back. He was built for combat, with plated metal armor and more weapons strapped to him than Joker could count. And… he had no nose.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Stain.” Joker smirked and twirled his gun around his finger, “You’re just the man I’ve been looking for.”

Stain lowered his serrated dagger, his lips quirked, “Why are you looking for me?”

Joker tilted his head, amused, “Oh, no reason in particular.”

His free hand dug something out of a hidden breast pocket. It was a red and black card, to which the vigilante held between his pointer and middle finger. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the card hurling at Stain like a throwing knife. Stain caught it, his eyes narrowed as he scanned over it.

“What is this _drivel_?” Stain spat, lips curled as he crushed it with his fist. 

“It’s your calling card, Stain.” Joker took a stance and pointed his gun, “Think of it as a personal invitation for me to put a stop to your slaughter. You should be honored.”

“ _Stop_ me? I’m almost disappointed in you, Joker. I thought you would be one to understand my creed.” Stain tossed the card aside like trash, “So, you are not a kindred spirit like I thought you were. You’re just like the rest of these fake heroes!”

“Fake heroes?” Joker slowly tilted his head to the side, “Tell me Stain, why do you choose to kill the ‘fake heroes’?”

“Because it’s the only way!” Stain jabbed his dagger towards Iida, “False heroes plague this society, they are a disease that must be cleansed. Only true heroes like All Might deserve the title!”

“I’ve proven you don’t need to kill them. Silver Falcon is imprisoned, and the way it's going he’ll be there for a long time.”

“What does that matter when he’ll just repeat his crimes once he goes free?” Stain sneered, “Don’t tell me that you’re so blind. A man like Silver Falcon will be stuck in his ways for the rest of his life. That ‘hero’ should’ve been purged properly.”

“I agree that people can’t change if they don’t want to, or if they don’t have an outside influence to help them,” Joker’s smirk fell, his eyes turned thoughtful, “But that doesn’t mean you should hold every hero to the same level as All Might. That’s an impossible standard to hold them to, given that he’s the _number_ _one_ hero.”

Midoriya’s fingers twitched in the corner of his eye. Good, he just needed to keep Stain distracted for a little bit longer. Seth’s wing beats still pounded the air as he circled overhead, Mona huddled near the edge of a nearby rooftop. Magical energies flowed through his veins, ready to support his partner without a moment’s hesitation.

“I see that words won’t get through to you,” Stain growled as he shifted on his feet, “Then you’ll just die like the rest of these fakes!”

Stain leapt, blade held high over his head, Seth howled into the forefront of Joker’s mind, eager to rise to the challenge. Another smirk split his face as he pointed his gun, but no shot went off. Heat exploded behind Joker and almost singed his hair. Stain growled as he got hit, flipping back to the other side of the alley to recover.

Joker looked over his shoulder to Todoroki, his left side steaming. They met eyes once again, but there was no inclination of his hostility from the USJ, there was almost a strange sort of _reverence_ in his eyes. Todoroki broke eye contact and walked in between Midoriya and Iida.

“Don’t face him alone,” Todoroki stopped beside Joker, flames licked at his left side, “He’s far too dangerous.”

“I know, Peppermint,” Joker chuckled, “Can you use those flames of yours to keep him away from your friends?”

“Peppermint…?” Todoroki muttered quietly, then he shook his head, “I can, you can leave it to me.”

“Todoroki,” Iida stared at his friend in shock, “You’re trusting a vigilante?”

“What choice do we have?” He glanced between his friends then glared at Stain, “I don’t think we can handle a three-way battle.”

“Todoroki…” Midoriya glanced over to Joker, “Iida, he’s right. Joker’s on our side!”

“But he’s a criminal! I…” Iida scowled and curled his hands into fists.

“Criminal or not, you’re injured.” Joker held his arm out, “Let me handle him from here on out.”

Iida’s eyes went to the ground, but he said nothing.

 _“Trickster! The alleyway is too narrow for me!”_ Another tempest beat them down as Seth flew over, _“I want to devour Shitstain!”_

 _“Follow through with Plan C,”_ Joker’s smirk grew, _“We’ll flush him out into the street.”_

_“Roger!!”_

“At my signal,” Joker whispered, “The two of you will carry Midoriya and the hero, then we need to flee the alleyway.”

“What!? What kind of plot are you hatching!?” Iida shouted.

“Got it. But we better make it fast,” Todoroki said, his eyes were locked on Stain, “I don’t think he’ll let us pull anything.”

A great shadow hovered ominously at the mouth of the alley, Seth’s pure golden eyes were trained in on the serial killer.

He opened his great maw and bellowed a war cry, shaking the foundations around them. Joker chuckled as the others covered their ears and dust rained down from above, garbage cans and dumpsters toppled over. They were struck by a whirlwind as Seth flapped his wings and flew off into the night sky, he disappeared like an arrow shot into the heavens. Midoriya and Todoroki watched with awe. 

“Stand back and wait for my signal.”

“Wait!” Midoriya furrowed his brow, “What do you-”

Joker charged, brandishing his pistol and dagger. Stain’s manic grin matched the masked vigilante as they clashed. The unmistakable clang of metal grated in their ears, their movements nothing more then a cacophony of sparks and carefully attuned reflexes, Joker flipped and pirouetted like an acrobat. Stain wasn’t as dexterous, but he matched Joker’s speed step for step.

A surge of killing intent suffocated Joker, the mere moment it took to recover cost him.

“Joker!!”

Todoroki and Midoriya’s voices shouted in unison as Stain ran his rugged blade down Joker’s torso. They expected a pained cry or a splash of crimson, but instead a shower of sparks spat back at Stain. The murderer’s eyes flew wide open as Joker’s clothes deflected his weapons, as if they were made of titanium.

“Ha! Better luck next time, Stain!”

Joker flowed into an elegant roundhouse kick, the blow knocked his opponent back. He could feel the U.A. kids’ horror melt into relief when not a single drop of blood was shed, Stain glowered at his clean daggers before he looked back at Joker. His grin showed far too many teeth.

“You have some impressive friends, Ingenium!!” Stain howled with mad laughter as he swung his blades and charged, “But don’t think that this is enough to stop my crusade!”

Ingenium?

Joker filed that information away for later as he ducked underneath a deadly swipe, Todoroki snapped out of his awe and shot a stream of fire to give him some breathing room. Desperation lined Stain’s movements as he threw himself to the side, Iida’s engines roared and he was nothing more than a silver blur as he rushed at Stain.

“I thought I told you to stay back, Motorboat!” Joker teased.

“As if I should listen to a vigilante!!” Iida shouted right back, his eyes held a mix of rage and guilt, “Besides, I can’t let anyone else get involved with this! They’re injured because of me!”

Joker threw his head back and laughed, “Isn’t it a bit too late for your pity party?”

Iida scoffed as his jet-fueled leg flew through the air, Stain sneered and lifted his dagger to counter him.

Joker smirked as he fired his gun, the bullets pierced the ground at Stain’s feet. It was enough of an opening for Iida to land a kick on his abdomen. The villain was flung back into an ice shard, shattering it into a thousand tiny jewels that powdered the air.

“Enough!”

Stain panted and hauled himself to his feet, he dug something out of his pouches. Joker recognized it with a start.

It was a Life Stone.

Stain crushed it in his hand, and they watched with muted horror as his injuries healed. Joker’s grin fell and he surged forward, dagger at the ready, but Stain had another idea in mind. Three flashes of steel sliced through the air. Iida cried out as a throwing knife was embedded into his shoulder, the other sailed straight for Midoriya and Todoroki.

Joker snapped his fingers, a hidden signal.

A wall of wind kicked up in front of them like a wave, the knives were batted away and clattered useless against the brick wall. Iida wasted no time ripping the metal from his shoulder, and it joined the others on the ground, delicately draped with crimson.

“What was that!?” Midoriya shouted.

Joker was about to answer as he aimed his gun at Stain, but then Seth hit the zenith. He felt an _unimaginable_ sense of joy as Seth hung in mid-air for a single heartbeat, he floated at the edge of the clouds, before dropping.

“Fall back!” Joker shouted, “Get out of the alleyway!”

Todoroki threw up a jagged spire of ice at the Hero Killer to slow him down, then threw Midoriya over his shoulder and made a run for it. Iida knit his brows together, but he grit his teeth and scooped up the hero before he followed.

There was a whistle to the air, almost like a bomb dropping.

Joker stood in front of the other kids as they huddled around the corner. Seth waited until the very last moment, right before he would crash into the buildings, then he reared up. He splayed his wings to catch the air, his muscles strained as he focused all of his strength into this one wing beat.

The alleyway _exploded_ into a maelstrom, a veritable tornado that devoured anything in it’s path. It ripped through stone and ice alike, Stain was no match as he was thrown out into the streets like a puppet with its strings cut. The dust and wind settled, and the streets were quiet.

“Did… did it work..?” Iida whispered as he gently set the hero down.

“Todoroki, I can move now.”

“Oh,” Todoroki helped Midoriya stand properly, “Does that mean we won?”

“No.” Joker grimaced, “He’s not done yet.”

Midoriya inhaled sharply as Stain, bloodied and bruised, scraped himself off of the concrete. Crimson streaked the Hero Killer’s body, a terrifying smile split his face and his eyes were alight with stomach-churning intensity.

_“He’s mine!”_

A dragon’s cry made the night air tremble, and Seth jumped from the rooftops. His claws dug gouges in the concrete as he slid into his landing, his lips curled back in malicious delight as Stain whipped towards him. Seth used his momentum to swing his head like a battering ram, Stain was no match as he flew through the air for a second time.

Joker wouldn’t waste this opportunity.

The role of Leader fell onto his shoulders so naturally, the faces of the U.A. teens blurred into that of his friends, if only for a fraction of a second.

“Now!” Joker was the first to move, “Surround him and do an all-out attack!”

They briefly exchanged glances, but scrambled to follow before the Hero Killer could prepare. Stain was trapped, his opponents stood on every side of him, like points on a compass. Todoroki was the first to attack, he stomped his right foot, and clusters of ice encased Stain’s legs.

Wild green electricity ran over Midoriya’s body like serpents, the concrete cracked underneath his feet as he jumped in with a punch. Some of the ice cracked at Stains feet, but it held steady. Iida rushed in, his engines glowing red hot as he kicked Stain’s side.

Joker heard the crack of ribs as the two fell back, but Joker surged onward, his dagger leaving a sizable gash on the Hero Killer’s shoulder. The trio was as one as they went in for another synchronized attack of dagger, punch, and kick. Todoroki finished the attack with a frozen wave, his crackling ice consumed Stain’s entire body. There was a beat of heavy silence.

The Hero Killer didn’t move.

“He’s…” Midoriya swallowed as he stared at Stain, “He’s finally down…”

Joker tugged on his blood-red gloves, “Well, this show’s finally over.”

“You!!”

Joker dropped as Iida’s leg soared over his head, the roar of engines screamed in Joker’s ears as Iida continued his onslaught. Joker weaved and bobbed the attacks with a grin on his face, but that only sparked anger in Iida’s eyes.

“Iida, stop!” Todoroki shouted, but it was futile.

Midoriya paled and waved his hands, “Wh-what are you doing!?”

“Stain is captured, now it’s his turn!”

“Oh, so that’s how it is, _Ingenium_?” Joker teased with a limber backflip, “I’m glad you still have energy for a dance! What shall it be then? A foxtrot? A waltz? Maybe a tango? Well, I don’t think you’re the romantic type-”

“Shut up!” Iida scowled and his eyes darkened into something dangerous, “How dare you mock the name of Ingenium!!”

Joker’s grin was still plastered on his face. Seth howled his fury, the earth shook as he hurled himself at Iida, jaws wide open. The mirth was wiped from Joker’s face.

“Seth, _no!_ ”

The dragon had no choice but to obey, he whipped his tail to change course. Iida used this chance as Seth narrowly missed them like a swerving semi truck, dust and chunks of concrete strewed through the air. Joker’s back was against the wall and Iida’s hand shot out to grab his high collar. Seth snarled as Joker was pressed into a corner, his growls struck them in a deep bass. Joker held his hands out, both to stop Seth and the hidden Mona from doing anything drastic.

Seth’s golden eyes were ablaze, but he stayed his claws by stomping in place. Midoriya and Todoroki ran up to them, Iida harshly shrugged Midoriya’s hand from his shoulder. Tension filled the air as Joker and Iida stared at each other, flickering gold to sapphire blue.

Todoroki was torn between his hero and his friend.

Midoriya wrung his hands together, mind whirring to find a peaceful solution.

Joker simply chuckled, that infuriating grin slithered back onto his face.

“Why are you still smiling?” Iida got right in Joker’s face, “You’re going to be arrested and thrown in prison! How are you so calm?”

“Hmm, I wonder why?” Joker slowly tilted his head to the side, “It’s not obvious? It’s because you’re going to let me go.”

Iida flinched, his rage fell into shock.

“Let you go? As if! Why would you think that I would release you, after everything you did?”

“You’re going to release me,” Joker’s grin fell into a more genuine smile, “Because I can heal your brother. Ingenium _is_ your brother, right? I can see the vengeance in your eyes. He could be back to normal by tonight, even. Think of it as a favor in exchange for my freedom.”

Iida reeled back. His breathing became ragged and his hands shook, tears threatened to fall, yet he managed to hold them back.

“How dare you lie about something like this! Do you think you can just toy with me!?”

“Iida-kun…” Midoriya stepped beside his friend, “Please calm down.”

“I’m a lot of things Ingenium Junior, but I am no liar. How do you think I healed your sensei at the USJ? Or…” Joker snapped his fingers again, “How I’m about to heal you?”

Their faces were priceless as Mona’s magic filtered through the air, their bodies gained the subtle green glow from a Mediarahan. Scrapes and bruises bled away into smooth skin, fatigue lost in the grueling battle trickled back, sharp pains vanished altogether. It was as if they didn’t just fight tooth and nail for their lives.

“But… but my brother’s paralyzed…” Iida hung his head as tears fell to the ground, “Not even Recovery Girl can fix him…”

“Well, I have powers that can surpass even hers.” Joker tilted his head, “How else do you explain Eraserhead’s miraculous recovery? He would’ve spent weeks in the hospital, even with someone like Recovery Girl looking after him.”

“He’s right.” Midoriya looked at the ground as he sunk into himself, “I saw when the Nomu hurt Aizawa-sensei, and I also witnessed Joker save and heal him, too.”

Todoroki slowly nodded, his expression was a stoic mask, but there were lingering emotions in his eyes that told a different story.

“I… you…”

“What is your answer, Ingenium Junior? We can call it nothing more than a mutually beneficial…. contract.”

Iida bit his lip. His hands shook as he waged a battle within himself. Finally, after a few moments of strained silence, he released Joker. His hands curled into fists and he couldn’t look the vigilante in the eye. 

“Why?”

“Why?” Joker felt a rush of deja vu from his last conversation with Aiba, “Because I know what its like when your family is hurting. You sought revenge for your brother because you thought it was the only way to deal with this pain. You felt powerless, didn’t you? Like there’s nothing else you can do, but those feelings will eat away at you. It’s slow at first but that pain burrows deep.”

Joker placed a hand right over his aching heart. Iida’s head snapped up, the darkness in his eyes was ousted by a desperate hope, his face softened with understanding.

“You’ve also felt like this? Did…” Iida swallowed, his eyes searched Joker’s face, “Did your family get the help they need?”

Joker stepped away, eyes cast down to the beautiful colors of his footsteps. He forced his frown to turn into a smirk, it came off as more of a forced grimace.

“No. I wasn’t strong enough to help them when they needed me most,” He looked over his shoulder, “And they paid the ultimate price for it.”

Midoriya paled.

Todoroki’s eyes became somber, but his expression remained neutral.

Iida said nothing as his heart lurched. Joker offered so much, to save himself and his brother such pain, but nobody came to Joker’s aid when he needed it. Iida felt shame crawl up his back, and he thought he could live up to his brother’s name…

“Oh, one more thing.”

Midoriya gasped as Joker rushed at Iida, he held his dagger to Iida’s throat and pointed his gun right in Todoroki’s face. Iida froze like a statue, while Todoroki didn’t bother hiding betrayal and faint embers of hurt.

“Wh-what are you doing!?” Midoriya took a battle stance, but he could do nothing when the dragon’s shadow fell over him.

Seth towered over Midoriya as his throat lit up with a Maragidyne, the flames leaked from his jaws like an open furnace, ready to torch his enemies at the Trickster’s signal. Joker stayed like that for several seconds, his eyes a pool of molten amber that peered into their very souls. Then, just as fast, he lowered his dagger and pistol with a sigh.

“I just saved you from getting into trouble.” Joker stepped away and sheathed his weapons, “Now you won’t be lying when you say I threatened you to escape. I don’t think the police would let something like this slide so easily.”

Iida rubbed at his neck, a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead, “A-at least warn us next time.”

“Now where would the fun in that be?” Joker said with a wink. 

Seth snapped his jaws shut, the fire in his throat was extinguished and curls of smoke escaped from his jaws. Joker still felt their eyes on him as he approached the hero, who had yet to awaken. No, it was something much worse than that.

 _“Trickster, this hero…”_ Arsene whispered, _“He’s….”_

_“I know.”_

“Are you going to heal Native, too?” Midoriya whispered, “Is he-”

Joker stood in front of the hero to block their vision. They didn’t need to see this.

“I’ll take care of him.” He said, “You guys should go to Stain and make sure he’s properly restrained.”

They flinched when the playful sarcasm was gone from his voice, replaced with something that left no room for argument. Midoriya gently grabbed Iida’s arm to lead him away, but Todoroki stood there, eyes wide in realization. He opened his mouth to speak, but Joker held up a hand.

“I’ll take care of him.” Joker reiterated.

Todoroki’s jaws snapped shut. He slowly nodded and turned to follow his friends.

 _“I sense no other Metaverse items on Shitstain,”_ Seth said to fill the dreaded silence.

_“Good.”_

He turned and knelt next to the hero. Native had one shallow cut and another slice across his chest. There wasn’t much blood, but from the bruising, it must’ve been internal.

 _“What do you plan to do?”_ Arsene said.

 _“Perhaps we do nothing, leave him for the other heroes.”_ Yatagarasu suggested.

 _“And what?”_ Titania crossed her arms, _“What if they blame the Trickster for his death?”_

 _“Why blame the Trickster when Stain is the obvious answer?”_ Yatagarasu said, _“It wouldn’t be logical.”_

_“Maybe, but who knows? Can we really take a chance like that?”_

_“We can surpass death.”_

Joker shivered at this persona’s voice.

 _“You!”_ Titania snapped, _“Can’t you just-!”_

_“Silence! Let the Trickster think about it.”_

Joker bit his lip. The hero hasn’t been dead for more than ten minutes. What was the risk? What was the reward? The hero wouldn’t remember dying, would he? Joker clutched his chin in thought as he rolled the various situations around in his mind. At the same time, there wouldn’t be another chance to test this spell.

Aside from breaking into a morgue.

He might be a thief, but even he had standards.

 _“Big brother,”_ Alice whispered, _“I believe we can break the cycle of life and Death. Our powers are unmatched in this world.”_

 _“Are you saying that as the ultimate persona of Death?”_ Arsene asked.

_“...I am.”_

Joker sighed sharply through his nose.

 _“Alright.”_ He said, _“Let’s give it a shot.”_

Seth faded away as silent as a breeze. He brought another persona to the forefront of his mind, but did not let them manifest. He took a deep breath, then cast Samarecarm. Vines and flowers sprouted around Native, glowing faintly like the aurora. A divine floral scent crept onto the breeze and a crystal butterfly fluttered from one of the flowers to land on Native’s chest.

Joker’s jaw dropped as the butterfly melded into the man, and he jolted to life with sputtering coughs. He cursed under his breath as he reached out to cover the man's eyes, whispers of Dormina put him to sleep, the silent song of a Makajama would make sure he would never remember this.

He felt eyes on him, and he turned to see the three U.A. kids staring at him, highlighted by the fading glow of life-giving plants. Stain was melted from his icy prison, ropes bound his arms together.

Joker gave them a nod, and Midoriya’s relieved smile was akin to sunshine. Iida put a hand to his heart and sighed in relief, but it was Todoroki who gave Joker a bewildered look. Joker winked at him and put a single finger to his lips. The boy blinked several times but slowly nodded.

Then, like a ghost, he slipped into the nearby alley when the unmistakable glow of Endeavors flames emerged down the street. Seth shuffled within his mind.

_“What about Shitstain?”_

_“We have to leave him for the heroes.”_

_“Bah!”_ Seth snorted and shook his head, _“Shitstain wasn’t even a challenge, more of a one-trick pony. What a disappointing hunt.”_

Joker snorted as he stepped over icy shards, _“I’ll make it up to you somehow.”_

_“Hmph. I crave the thrill of battle, only a fight to the death will satisfy me! That shall be my reward, Trickster.”_

_“I’ll… keep that in mind.”_

_“Flying upon my great form would only draw unwanted attention,”_ Seth’s grumbled, _“We must make haste, like a rabbit fleeing the fox’s jaws.”_

_“I know.”_

He only stopped when a light crinkle came from his boots. He blinked, then looked down.

“Huh, how did you escape Seth’s wrath?” He whispered to himself as he picked up the crumpled card.

With a shrug, he deposited it back into his pocket. It would make for a nice souvenir, at least.

Joker shot out his grapple, the ride up to the rooftops was nowhere near as exhilarating as the first time and it had nothing compared to riding upon Seth. A wisp of wind caressed his face. He turned to look just in time to see Mona leap over the rooftops with feline finesse.

Mona smirked as he cast magic mid-air, the wind launched him straight towards his partner like a rocket. Joker almost toppled over when Mona’s tiny body crashed into his chest.

“What was that for?” He asked as he cradled the not-cat.

“I was worried!” Mona narrowed his eyes, tail flicked back and forth.

“Why were you worried? You were backing me up.” Despite himself, he let his best grin shine, “Don’t tell me you doubted my abilities, Mona.”

“O-of course not!” Mona climbed from Joker’s arms to his shoulders, “I wasn’t worried about Stain, he went down easily thanks to the help of those other kids.”

Joker raised a brow, “Then?”

“Fine.” Mona sighed and rubbed into Joker’s hair, “I was worried about what the U.A. kids would do to you after, but it seems like my fears were unfounded. Besides, I would’ve intervened anyway if that blue-haired kid didn’t let you go.”

Joker simply nodded, then turned to look to the streets. He fell into a crouch when Endeavor, Gran Torino, and a small group of heroes approached Midoriya and the others.

“We should leave before they spot us.” Mona whispered.

“In a minute,” Joker’s eyes narrowed, “I just want to make sure that Stain will be properly taken care of.”

Joker sighed in relief when the heroes took him and turned on his heel to sneak away. That was until chaos broke out onto the street.

“Midoriya!!”

They whipped around just as the winged Nomu soared over the rooftops, with Midoriya in its clutches. Joker whipped out his pistol.

_“Shit, Seth-!”_

The Nomu gurgled and lurched as if it were struck with an invisible force, then it fell. A shadow zoomed past before the persona could materialize, the moonlit form of Stain stabbed the Nomu in it’s exposed brain, then rode the beast into a crash landing. Midoriya was under his arm, paralyzed by fear as the Hero Killer set him down on the pavement. Seth was held back, thrashing and stomping, but his master did not let him into the physical plane.

He aimed his pistol as Stain ripped the blade out of the Nomu’s brain. 

“Joker…” Mona’s fur stood on end as the air was permeated with pure malice, “I don’t like this…”

“What are you standing around for!?” Endeavor stomped down the road, his flames roared.

“Endeavor.” Stain’s mask fell, revealing his gruesome face, “You fake…”

Goosebumps broke out on Joker’s arms as the bloodlust skyrocketed, it choked the air and dyed the silver moon to a bloody hue. Alice stepped into the forefront, her power shielded Joker from the heart-rending fear, but Mona was left helpless.

“Well!? Come and get me, you fakes!” Stain stumbled forward a step, “The only one I’ll let kill me is the true hero, All Might!!”

The evil aura vanished as soon as it came. Joker sighed as Stain dropped his bloody knife.

“He’s….” Mona swallowed as he shivered, “I think he’s unconscious.” 

Joker lowered his gun. New blotches of crimson stained Midoriya's costume, he switched out Alice for Titania. Midoriya blinked in rapid succession when Titania’s Mediarahan healed his injury, the boy looked around while the others were still locked in fear from Stain’s suffocating aura.

They met eyes, Joker winked at him before they turned tail. Mona was silent as they slinked across the rooftops like true Phantom Thieves, they crossed halfway through the city before Joker slowed to a stop. Smoke still billowed from a few buildings, the wail of sirens and distant shouts echoed through the streets. The turbulent night was finally coming to an end.

“What a mess,” Mona whispered, “It’ll take some time for things to return to normal.”

Joker shook his head, then held out his arm as he summoned Yatagarasu, the faithful bird ruffled his feathers as he awaited his orders. Mona blinked curiously as Joker dug out his phone with his other hand and flicked through his contact list. He scrolled past Taneo’s number. That man would be getting a call soon, whether he wanted it or not. 

“What are you doing?”

“That hero was dead.” Mona inhaled sharply, but Joker continued as his thumb hovered over the screen, “You saw me use the Samarecarm. It actually revived him, so I want to test the strength of other spells. Now we have the perfect reason to.”

“Joker,” Mona was suddenly serious, “We _absolutely_ can’t let it get out that we revived a dead hero. That’s far too dangerous.”

“I know that. I put him to sleep and cast Makajama on him for good measure. I doubt he’ll remember what happened tonight at all.”

“Good thinking. So, what were you thinking with these other spells?”

“I’m going to heal Ingenium. I made a promise to his brother.”

A beat of silence.

“And if it doesn’t work?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but I think it’ll work. If Samarecarm can revive the dead, then what can’t our most powerful healing spell fix?”

“Wait a moment. If it _does_ work… ” Mona hummed in thought, “Ingenium was a victim to the Hero Killer.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And instead of just healing _one_ victim, why don’t we heal them all? It will definitely send a message that we aren’t like him!” Mona grinned and bounced on his paws, “It’s perfect! The other heroes will probably try to cover up our involvement in any way possible, but if we heal Stain’s victims and leave a calling card with each one…”

“We’ll sweep them off their feet before they can get a chance to recover! I’ll set something up with Taneo before the heroes can get a handle on it, just to make sure.” Joker grinned, “Now there’s the Mona I know and love. I’m glad Stain’s little performance didn’t turn you into a scaredy cat.”

“H-hey! I wasn’t scared before! Not at all!!”

“Of course not,” Joker looked to Yatagarasu, who had watched the entire exchange with thinly disguised amusement, “Patrol the streets around here, make sure no heroes will get the drop on us.”

“Roger, Trickster.”

Yatagarasu leapt from his arm and soared into the sky. Joker watched the graceful persona for a moment, then pressed the one and only speed dial. It rang once.

_“YOU IDIOTS!!”_

Joker held the phone away from his ear as there was a clatter of dishes.

 _“Manami, please calm down!”_ Gentle’s voice filtered through the background, _“You almost spilled the tea.”_

_“Oh! Sorry, Gentle!”_

“Well, I’m glad to hear you guys getting along.”

 _“You!”_ Aiba’s wrath returned in full force, _“Do you have any idea how worried sick I’ve been!? Hosu has been all over the news! There are already several videos all over the internet, and don’t think I didn’t recognize you! You guys_ _promised_ _me that you would be careful!_ _”_

“New videos are up already?” Joker teased, “At least it isn’t a slow news day.”

_“Can’t you take this seriously!?”_

“Alright, fine. Tell me about these videos.”

 _“W-well, where to even start?”_ He heard the iconic keys typing, _“There are several with a dragon flying down the street, most of them are only a few seconds before they cut out from the wind. There’s one with an aerial view of your dragon, then one more with it’s battle against the Nomu. It captured you ordering it to attack those monsters. It only shows your back though, so your face hasn’t been shown. There’s also a lot of interference, so your voice doesn’t come through that well either.”_

“Is that all?”

 _“No! Online discussions about them have stormed the forums. The media only aired a few videos once since they don’t know who you really are, but they did call you a ‘mysterious new hero’. There is simply a flood of information about the Hosu attack for them to linger on it.”_ Joker burst out laughing, and Aiba sputtered, _“Stop laughing! This isn’t funny!”_

“Of course it is! If only they knew the irony of it.” Joker’s grin smoothed over, “Anyway, I called to ask for a favor.”

_“Fine! Just tell me that you two are okay first? No injuries, right?”_

“Yeah, we’re fine. Not even a scratch.”

_“Good, that’s… good.”_

Aiba was silent, he could tell she was still fuming. She sighed in defeat after a few moments.

_“Alright, what is it?”_

“I need to know where all of the victims for the Hero Killer are located, the ones that are still alive at least.”

_“Why..?”_

“I made a promise to somebody and I plan to keep it.”

_“You’re not going to do anything stupid, right?”_

“Me?” He placed a hand over his heart in mock injury, even though she couldn’t see, “Never. I’m simply doing them a favor.”

 _“Okay, I’ll trust you.”_ Another sigh came over the line, _“I’ll send you the information once I have it, it should only take an hour. Two at the most.”_

“Thanks, I owe you one.”

 _“I demand a plate of curry as recompense!”_ Aiba chuckled, _“Don’t ever make me worry like that again, okay? I don’t know what I would do if I lost my boys.”_

She hung up.

“Your boys…?”

Joker stared at his phone for several seconds, Mona cleared his throat to snap him out of it.

“I heard all of it.” Mona said, “We have lots of things to do, and not much time to do them.”

“Yup.” Joker pocketed his phone with a sigh, then looked out to the city, “Lets try to get back to the hideout and rest before she gets the information.”

“Agreed.”

With that, they disappeared into the smoldering city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, you thought it would just end with Stain? Oh no, nope. Joker has plans in place that'll give every hero a massive migraine, good luck to them :D
> 
> A few people guessed that Ingenium might get healed or that Native would be dead and Joker revives him, to those people here's a cookie!


	23. Butterfly Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It seems your prediction was right, Tsukauchi.”
> 
> “Oh no,” Tsukauchi said, “I know that look. Joker really did it, didn’t he?”

Iida Tensei was as still as a corpse.

Anyone might mistake him for one, by the stiffness in his body or how his legs were icy and numb. Death had not come to claim him yet, the calm hisses and beeps from the surrounding machines were the only thing that kept him alive. He tasted nothing more than bland oxygen carefully fed to him by the plastic mask. It dug into his face, but he barely had the energy to adjust it.

He sunk into his pillows with his eyes closed. Despite how floaty and dizzy the pain killers made him, he just couldn’t fall asleep. His mind relived the final moments from his encounter with the Hero Killer, of the horror and sorrow that marred his mother’s and little brother’s faces in the aftermath. He would’ve shaken his head to clear his thoughts, but the sudden movement would make him nauseous.

He simmered in his misery for a few moments more, until a soft breeze kisses his face.

It was pleasant and whisked away the horrors whispering in his mind. It was comforting in the same way as when his mother would always open his window to let in fresh air in the mornings, back when he still went to school. He sensed a presence by his bedside, but there had been no footsteps.

He furrowed his brow and blearily opened his eyes when there was a soft crinkle of paper. It took a few long seconds for him to comprehend the beautiful woman floating serenely at his bedside. Her hand, as delicate as a flower, placed a card on the bedside table. He blinked a few more times. Was this a hallucination?

But no, the woman was still there, untied by the laws of gravity.

Long golden blonde hair flowed down her back, upon her head were two asymmetrical horns. She had pointed ears, and her expression showed such beautiful tranquility that it would make any painting of it into a masterpiece. Her clothes were the purest of white silk. The moonbeams outlining her body gave her an ethereal glow.

She opened eyes like liquid aquamarine jewels to stare at him. His heart almost stopped when a kind smile graced her lips.

“Take heart, hero.” Her voice whispered like velvet in his ears, “The Trickster has found you worthy of Salvation.”

The woman drifted through the air, almost as if she were underwater, until she was suspended above him, her body parallel to his own. Her hands cupped his cheeks and she leaned forward to place a kiss on his forehead. He gasped as his body was filled with icy cold energy, it flowed and crashed through him like a typhoon, but it didn’t hurt.

It was the opposite.

The cool sensation washed away his aches and pains, it cleared his mind from the haze of several medications. But most importantly, something _snapped_ back into place. The mysterious woman held his gaze as the energy flowed out from his legs. She chuckled, the sound as enchanting as bird song, then she floated away, her touch gently traced down his face before it was gone.

“W-wait!” He shot straight up, pulling on numerous wires, “What’s your name?”

She placed a single finger on her lips, then she vanished in a rush of sapphire cinders.

He sat there, stupefied. With shaky hands he reached over to the red and black card she left behind, there was an insignia of a flaming top hat and mask.

“Take your heart?” He flipped the card over, “To the heroes whose livelihoods were unjustly taken by the King Of Wrath, who’s reign of bloodshed has been put to an end, we return what was reaped. Beware, what was given can easily be taken away again. Use this gift wisely. From, the Leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts - Joker?”

Tensei looked to the little sticky note on the bottom.

_‘Tell your brother I said hi. :)’_

His heart pounded in his ears. What did this mean? He stared at his legs, they were neither numb nor did they feel like dead weight. He swallowed and stared at his toes. His vision became blurry when they _moved_ , he could feel the silky texture of the blankets on his feet and across his legs.

Was this a dream..?

There was only one way to find out. He removed the oxygen mask and various other wires attached to him, then tore off the blanket. His eyes were wide in disbelief as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, and stood to his full height. The machines’ shrill cries were nothing but background noise as he walked from one end of the room to the other, he clutched the card in his hand like a lifeline.

Suddenly, the doors flew open and a medical team rushed in with a crash cart. They froze when they saw him standing in front of the open window, the pale moonlight spilled in and painted him in silver hues.

“Iida-san!?” The doctor gaped at him like fish out of water, “What… how…. how is this possible?”

“I think...” Tensei looked up from the card, eyes wide, “That I was kissed by a goddess.”

~*~*~*~ 

The hospital room was silent.

Three of U.A.’s finest sat on the edge of their hospital beds, all of them plunged deep into their own thoughts. They were uninjured, but the hospital had kept them overnight for observation, in case there were any unknown side effects. Judging from the bags under their eyes, none of them had gotten any sleep.

The sunlight draped in from the windows and birds sang their morning songs, but the happiness and purity of dawn didn’t reach this small, cold room. Finally, the morose atmosphere was broken by the first spoken words of the day.

“Do you think…”

Todoroki and Midoriya looked to Iida, who hung his head, his hands were tight fists on his lap.

“We would’ve won without Joker?” Iida’s shoulders shook, “If it wasn’t for me and my blind hatred of Stain… If that menace had somehow killed either of you, then I don’t think I could ever forgive myself.”

“It’s hard saying.” Todoroki said after a moment of thought, “Stain was getting desperate when it was just the three of us. If we were somehow all unaffected by his quirk, then we might’ve been able to take him down ourselves. It’s no use stagnating on what could’ve been.”

“I do wonder though,” Midoriya clutched his chin in thought, “How did Joker know where we were? Was he just in the area by chance or did something draw him there?”

“I have a feeling he was in Hosu because of Stain.”

“Why do you say that, Todoroki?” Iida asked with furrowed brows.

“I briefly saw him on the rooftops the night before the Hosu attacks.” Todoroki was content to study the corner, “He was there and gone again before I could-”

They were interrupted when the door opened. They stood from their beds when a canine headed man walked in with Gran Torino, Manual, and Detective Tsukauchi.

“Hmph, so you brats are awake.” Gran Torino grumbled.

“G-gran Torino!”

Iida’s eyes shown with guilt, “Manual…”

“I have half a mind to run you through the wringer!” Gran Torino snapped at Midoriya, “But I think the Police Chief will do a fine job of it instead.”

Midoriya flinched, then stared at the Police Chief’s imposing figure, he towered over everyone else in the room.

“As Gran Torino said, I am the Chief of Police, Tsuragamae Kenji. So, you are the U.A. students who took down the Hero Killer, woof?”

Todoroki narrowed his eyes, “We are.”

“Hmm, in regards to the Hero Killer’s arrest,” Tsuragamae studied the teens, “He had fairly serious injuries. Broken bones, significant bruising, burns, even a few slash wounds to the shoulders. There were traces of a bullet wound, but it seems to have recently healed over, so that can’t be counted towards you. He is currently being treated under guard, woof.”

They exchanged hasty glances.

“What about Native, sir?” Midoriya asked.

Todoroki’s hands balled into fists to hide his shaking, the knuckles turned white.

“The hero is also being treated,” Tsuragamae cocked his head to the side, “He’s groggy and heavily disoriented, and he doesn’t remember what happened within the last 36 hours. He strangely seemed to have lost some muscle mass as well, but he should make a full recovery with time and physical therapy.”

Iida wasn’t the only one to sigh in relief, but Todoroki remained silent. Tsuragamae’s expression fell into a sudden seriousness, his eyes sharpened as he took in the three children in front of him.

“With that aside, the three of you should already know how the laws treat the use of quirks. For an individual’s use of force and power that can easily kill another, actions that would be appropriate to denounce, to be officially accepted, is in thanks to those first brave people who had taken up the mantle of the first heroes. They followed those rules and laws to the letter,” Tsuragamae’s expression became grave, “Even up against the Hero Killer, the use of your quirks, without express permission from your guardians, is a violation of these rules. As such, the three of you and your guardians must receive proper punishment.”

Todoroki bristled, “You can’t be serious!”

“T-Todoroki!” Midoriya jumped and stared at his friend in shock.

“If Iida hadn’t been there, then Native would’ve been killed.” Todoroki stepped around Midoriya’s bed with an icy cold glare, “If Midoriya and I wouldn’t have come, then Iida could’ve been killed! If…”

Todoroki trailed off. The room went silent. Tsuragamae cleared his throat after a few moments, his eyes sparked with an indiscernible gleam.

“Do you wish to finish that train of thought, woof?”

“If…” Iida hung his head, “If Joker hadn’t been there, then all of us might have been killed.”

“Iida!” Todoroki snapped his head towards his friend.

Tsuragamae and Tsukauchi exchanged significant looks, and Gran Torino grumbled to himself.

“So, the reports are correct.” Tsuragamae ran a hand over his snout, “The notorious vigilante has caused waves during the Hosu attack.”

“What do you mean, sir?” Midoriya said with furrowed brows.

Tsuragamae glanced at Tsukauchi, who nodded. The detective dug out a notepad and pen, then took a step forward, his face etched with a calm smile.

“I figured you wouldn’t know yet, being cooped up in a hospital room,” Tsukauchi said, “Joker fought the three Nomu and put out a majority of the fires they caused. He had a brief encounter with Gran Torino and Endeavor before he ran from the scene and disappeared, but it seems he ended up running into Stain.”

“It was awe-inspiring.” Manual spoke for the first time, “He possessed incredible power with those monsters.”

“That’s an understatement,” Gran Torino said with a scowl, “He took the full brunt of Endeavor’s flames and came out completely unscathed.”

“He _what_?” Todoroki asked with wide eyes.

“Come to think of it,” Manual said, “I believe he said the names of those monsters he summoned, there was something familiar about them.”

Tsukauchi turned to him, pen at the ready, “Really? Do you remember what they were?”

“I believe the big dragon’s name was Seth,” Manual frowned, “Then the winged woman was Titania.”

“And Cerberus,” Gran Torino said, “A big white beast with a metal tail. He summoned that one when Endeavor arrived on the scene.”

“Titania, Cerberus, Seth…” Midoriya gasped, “It can’t be.”

“What’s wrong, Midoriya?” Iida asked.

“Titania is the queen of faeries. Cerberus is usually depicted as the three-headed hound that guards the gates of hell, but Joker’s Cerberus doesn’t match that. And Seth…” Midoriya bit his lip and he looked up to Tsukauchi, “I don’t know that one.”

“Seth would be an Egyptian god. The god of storms, deserts, and chaos to be more precise.” Something like sorrow and regret appeared in Gran Torino’s eyes, “In the legends he murdered his brother Osiris, to take his throne.”

Tsukauchi paled, the scratch of his rapid pen strokes filled the silence.

“A quirk that can summon gods and mythical monsters,” Gran Torino shook his head, “I’ve never heard of such a thing. No wonder the brat was so cocky.”

“How many of them does he have under his control?” Tsuragamae asked as he turned to Tsukauchi.

“We’re not sure, we have records of a few of them. The three we just discussed, and two others, but we don’t have names for either. It wouldn’t be far fetched to say that he has any number of them under his sleeve.”

“And he can heal grave injuries as well, a dangerous ability given his status as a vigilante.” Tsuragamae released a heavy sigh, but he noticed how the three teens blanched, “I find it suspicious that you all escaped the Hero Killer with no injuries. So be truthful, did Joker use his powers to heal you after the battle?”

“He did.” Todoroki said with a frown, “Stain managed to cut me a few times, but nothing serious.”

“A few cuts and an injured leg.” Midoriya said.

Their eyes turned to Iida, who had his hand clasped around his shoulder.

“When I first confronted Stain,” Iida grimaced as he remembered the searing pain, “He stabbed me all the way through my shoulder. My hand and some of my forearm had been numb for most of the fight.”

“Iida-kun…” Midoriya looked down at his own scarred hand.

“I see, woof.” Tsuragamae crossed his arms, “And how does it feel now?”

Iida flexed his hand a few times, “It’s… back to normal.”

Tsukauchi filled out more of his note pad as Manual grimaced.

“He also did something to Native,” Iida said, “But it was different to how he healed us.”

Tsukauchi looked up from his notes, “Different how?”

“W-well” Midoriya tapped his chin, “A soft green light appeared around us when we were healed, but it was a lot different with Native. There were glowing vines and flowers, and a crystal butterfly too. I also smelled those flowers, like irises.”

“Really?” Iida raised a brow, “I smelled a mix of geraniums and tiger lilies.”

Todoroki’s heart pounded. He knew what he saw. Native was still, far too still, his chest didn’t move and he heard no breath. Neither Midoriya or Iida seemed to notice that Native was….

He knew that Native was dead, until _he wasn’t_.

Because of Joker.

Just thinking about it made his scalp prickle. It was the sort of power that had kept up him all night, flitting together with their battle against the Hero Killer. The vigilante walked away from that fight without a scratch. Was Joker even _human_?

“Todoroki?” The boy snapped out of his thoughts and stared at Midoriya, “What flower did you smell?”

“...Amaryllis.”

“Different smells for different people? I wonder why that is? Does it rely on some sort of memory? Hmm, a smell…” The gears cranked in Midoriya’s mind, “Oh, maybe it worked like smelling salts?”

“Can you clarify?” Tsukauchi said, “What do you mean by smelling salts?”

“Native was already unconscious when I confronted Stain,” Iida said as he stared at the floor, “And he didn’t wake up until Joker healed him.”

“I see.” Tsukauchi made another note, “So he healed your injuries and helped Native regain consciousness?”

Todoroki chose to remain silent, even as Midoriya nodded.

“But why put Native back to sleep again…?” Midoriya whispered, he was cut off when the Chief cleared his throat.

“We have wandered from the main topic, but we have gained valuable intel for a wanted vigilante.” Tsuragamae shook his head, his jowls wobbled, “But my main point is this: If it gets out that you took down the Hero Killer, then you must be punished for your actions.”

Midoriya stiffened, Iida sank into himself, his expression carefully neutral, accepting even.

“No.”

Todoroki marched straight at Tsuragamae, it was almost comical how Todoroki had to crane his neck up to look in the Police Chief’s eyes.

“Isn’t it a hero’s job to save people? I would’ve done the exact same thing again and again, I don’t regret what I did.”

“Hmm, so it’s okay to bend the law when you see fit?”

“What?” Todoroki took a step back, “That’s not what I-”

“There is still one other option.” Tsuragamae bent down over Todoroki, “Say we give Endeavor the credit of capturing the Hero Killer. The burns and bruises can be covered by his fighting style, the destruction and debris on that street could have cut him in the shoulder during their battle.”

Todoroki narrowed his eyes, “And Joker?”

“That complicates it even more.” Tsukauchi sighed, his cravings for caffeine had skyrocketed in the past hour alone, “We can’t cover up all of the dragon videos and the Nomu attacks, but we can direct the media away from it.”

“We’ll conceal his involvement in regards to the attacks. There were no witnesses to his battle with Endeavor and Gran Torino or with the Hero Killer. But there’s always a possibility that people may connect the new mystery hero to Joker.” Tsuragamae rubbed at his eyes, “If it comes down to the wire then Endeavor will claim to have fought both, but arresting the Hero Killer took top priority compared to capturing a vigilante.”

The three U.A. students exchanged glances.

“So? Which would you prefer?” Tsuragamae asked as he lowered his hand, “I personally wouldn’t want to find fault with such promising young heroes.”

“Either way,” Manual smiled and put his hands on his hips, “We’ll need to take responsibility for being so negligent.”

Iida walked up to Manual, and bowed, “I am truly sorry.”

“All right.” Manual playfully chopped Iida on the head, “If you really understand, then you won’t do it again!”

“I won’t!”

Tsuragamae looked expectantly at the other two. Midoriya was the first to bow, Todoroki hesitantly copied.

“I’m sorry too.” Midoriya said.

“Please take care of it.”

“Very well. You will not receive the praise you deserve, but you will not be punished.” It was the Police Chief who bowed next, “But at least, as someone who protects the peace, I can say thank you.”

Todoroki crossed his arms, “You really should have started off with that.”

“Now,” Tsukauchi stepped closer to them, “If you don’t mind, I would like to ask a few more questions about Joker’s-”

A knock on the door silenced them all. Tsuragamae nodded towards Manual, who went to open it. A cat headed police officer rushed in, eyes as wide as dinner plates and fur that stood on end. Tsuragamae bent down so he could whisper in his ear, then handed him a piece of paper. Tsuragamae took a moment to read it.

The Chief of Police stiffened, his jaw went slack as he blinked several times. He collected himself, cleared his throat, then glanced at Tsukauchi.

“It seems your prediction was right, Tsukauchi.”

“Oh no,” Tsukauchi said, “I know that look. Joker really did it, didn’t he?”

“He did.”

“And all of the extra security?”

“Did nothing.” Tsuragamae shook his head, “He slipped through those hospitals like a shadow.”

Iida’s heart hammered in his chest as Tsuragamae handed the paper to Tsukauchi, then looked straight at him.

“It seems…” Tsuragamae said, words coming as slow as sap, “That victims of the Hero Killer, those heroes who have been permanently disabled, are being miraculously healed. Our latest intelligence tells that he has just managed to heal the final hero, despite our best efforts to apprehend him at those hospitals.”

Midoriya and Todoroki’s jaws dropped. Tsukauchi, Gran Torino, and Manual looked at the Police Chief as if he had sprouted another head.

“Don’t tell me…” Iida whispered.

Was it too good to be true?

Tsukauchi scrubbed his eyes and released a bone-deep sigh before the Chief finished.

“Indeed, Iida-kun. Your brother was one of the first on the list, Joker has claimed responsibility for each one through calling cards.” Tsuragamae held a mix of unsteady emotions within his eyes, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get ahead of this before the media storm arrives.”

He bowed his head, then left the room with the officer at his heels.

“Now that this has happened, it’s more important than ever that you tell me the truth.” Tsukauchi stepped forward, his eyes sharp, “I know your battle with Stain was harrowing, but can you tell me everything about your encounter with Joker? How he fought, how he escaped, his unusual powers or any other details you can think of.”

Iida began the tale with a shaky voice, he avoided Manual’s eyes until Midoriya added to the story. Todoroki shared his part with ruthless efficiency. They tapered off near the end, but Todoroki looked Tsukauchi right in the eye when he told of Joker’s ‘escape’ and omitted the part where Native was actually dead.

In the end, Tsukauchi didn’t pick up any lies.

~*~*~*~

“Shigaraki Tomura, please sit down,” Kurogiri said, “You might reopen your wound.”

“Shut it!” Shigaraki scratched angry lines in his neck, he paced back and forth as his shoulder burned with vengeance, “It’s happened _again_! Stain, Stain, Stain, _Stain_. And that annoying secret boss is getting so much attention too! It’s all they’re talking about! Why aren’t my Nomu on the news? Why aren’t I getting the credit I deserve for the destruction in Hosu? Why!?”

“The Hero Killer is still being associated with us because of that new video.”

“That’s not enough!” Shigaraki hissed, “They barely glossed over it!”

Kurogiri silently sighed, the action came off as nothing more than wavering mist. Thankfully, the tension was cut short when the door opened and Giran walked in with a greasy smirk. Shigaraki glowered at him.

“What do _you_ want? I’m not in the mood.”

“Now, is that any way to greet someone who comes bearing gifts?”

Shigaraki narrowed his eyes as Giran approached the bar. He dug into his pockets and placed a few odd stones on it, two were perfectly round and smooth, the others a bit more jagged and rough.

“What the hell are these supposed to be?”

“Patience, Shigaraki Tomura.” Kurogiri ignored Shigaraki’s glare as he turned to Giran, “Well, what are they? I didn’t think you would be one to deal in petty drugs, Giran.”

“These are better than any drugs you’d find on the market, and no side effects or addictive properties to boot.” Giran huffed in amusement, and held out a jagged stone, “They’re healing items. Why don’t you try one for that shoulder of yours, Shigaraki? You just break it in between your fingers.”

“Quirk enhanced items?” Kurogiri mused as he watched his charge.

Shigaraki’s eyes widened when he broke the stone, and cool energy washed over his body. The burn of his shoulder wound lessened, but it was still tender and twinged with pain if he moved too fast.

“Where did you get these?” Kurogiri asked with growing interest.

“A little bird recently sold them to me, they didn’t say exactly where they got the goods.” Giran shrugged, “I’m going to try and get more out of them first, before I share their name. Also, the two smooth ones are a more powerful version. I thought your boss would be… _interested_. I expect my usual price to be paid, with a little bit of interest.”

Shigaraki scoffed, “Gifts don’t come with a price, Giran.”

“I gave one to the Hero Killer as a sign of good faith, but we all know how that turned out.”

Kurogiri nodded at the man, the rest of the stones were consumed by purple mist before they disappeared.

“Fine. Your accounts will be filled later.”

Shigaraki huffed and sank into a bar stool.

“I’ll keep you updated on this special source.”Giran turned on his heel and headed for the door, “Who knows what other goodies they might have? I’ll be bringing you some new recruits, expect them within the next few days.”

“Giran.” The man looked over his shoulder to Shigaraki, “I like you a lot better when you don’t stink like an ashtray.”

Giran chuckled as he left the bar behind.

~*~*~*~

“The analysis is complete, sir.”

“And?”

“W-well, this isn’t a simple item enhanced by a quirk, you see. I didn’t detect _any_ signs of quirk usage at all.” The doctor approached All For One, “But it has the same energy signature as the anomaly we picked up from the USJ. So the only logical explanation for its origins would be-”

“Joker.”

All For One grinned as he leaned back into his chair, the various tubes and wires shifted, but he paid them no mind.

“The boy has gained such value since his debut in the USJ,” All For One tilted his head, “Just where did he come from? How were these items created, if not by a quirk? He’s such an exquisite mystery.”

“I don’t know, sir.” The doctor held out the tiny bundle of stones, “Do you want to try one? The wound Shigaraki received from Stain seems to have been healed for the most part, but I would like to check it to make sure. If there’s any chance it could heal you…”

All For One hummed. He reached over and pinched a rough stone, a simple flex from one of his quirks reduced it to dust. The doctor bit his lip as he watched his master for any sign of change, any inkling in the machines that indicated better readings.

There was nothing more than a mild buzzing in his fingertips.

“Hmm, it didn’t work. How disappointing.”

“Perhaps we should try the smooth ones? Giran said they were more potent.”

“Very well.”

All For One felt the smooth little orb as it rolled around in his palm. He activated one sensory quirk, then another, to piece together how it came into this world, but the quirks only perceived a strange static.

Interesting.

Without hesitation, he crushed it between his fingers. His skin pleasantly buzzed, it slowly trailed all over his body before it faded, like a limb recovered from falling asleep. The doctor swallowed as he fiddled with the mountain of machinery around All For One.

“Any difference?”

The doctor hummed, “If I didn’t monitor these machines constantly, I would say it’s nominal. You don’t think Giran lied, do you?”

“No, he knows the consequences of dishonesty.” All For One frowned, “Perhaps my injuries are too grave for such simple trinkets. It’s a shame, really.”

“Do you want to try the second one, sir? Perhaps it’ll-”

“No. Keep the rest for further study.” All For One waved his hand, “See if we can unlock any secrets that it might hold.”

The doctor opened his mouth to respond, when a particular screen suddenly lit up. Demizu Mika, the newswoman from when Silver Falcon’s travesties were announced to the world, came into view. The little picture next to her made the doctor stiffen.

“S-sir, it’s showing Joker’s logo.”

“I wonder what the boy has done now?” All For One’s grin widened, “What will he do to upend hero society this time?”

 _“This just in,”_ Her voice shook, but it wasn’t from fear, _“Several proclamations are coming out this morning, from famed doctors who have taken it unto themselves to treat heroes disabled by Stain. They have made miraculous claims that all of Stain’s victims have been completely healed, but the culprit behind these actions leave the hero world baffled.”_

The image changed to another, a card with letters cut out from a magazine.

_“Joker, the vigilante behind Silver Falcon’s fall from grace, has left calling cards with each hero. Police have scoured the surrounding areas, but have been unsuccessful in his recapture. We now go live to a press conference currently being held outside of Hosu General Hospital.”_

The doctor’s eyes flicked to another screen, where Shigaraki began dusting everything in his reach, rage rolled off of the boy in waves. Kurogiri, with sagged shoulders, released a sigh as he tried to calm the boy down, to no success.

The scene shifted to a sea of reporters crowded in front of the hospital, the Chief of Police was at a podium, behind him were a few of Stain’s victims, Ingenium being one of them. They stood, as healthy as horses, as if they were never touched by the Hero Killer’s blade. Doctors in lab coats donned serious expressions as Tsuragamae was hounded with questions.

 _“How did he sneak past security to reach the heroes’ rooms!?”_ One man shouted, _“This brings into question the security of the hospital itself!”_

 _“I assure you,”_ Tsuragamae said, _“That the hospital and its staff remain safe. Joker used unorthodox methods to bypass security, those which are now being patched.”_

_“I have an inside comment that states it was a beautiful woman who had stolen into their rooms to heal them, but the calling cards are all from Joker. Does this mean that she was another of his supposed demons? What exactly is his quirk!?”_

_“We have officially deemed it as a rare type of summoning quirk, and each of his monsters has unique abilities all of their own.”_ Tsuragamae said,“ _It’s more likely that his quirk is a powerful mutation.”_

_“Does this mean that he could potentially heal villains too? He’s already a vigilante on the run from the law, so what happens when Joker falls to villainy!? Is there no way for you to stop him before then!?”_

_“We don’t know his current goals or why he has chosen to heal Stain’s victims,”_ Tsuragamae said, _“But we are pouring resources into this investigation, this includes getting Endeavor and All Might onto our team. We will also get considerable funding from the Hero Commission.”_

The reporters went wild, blinding camera flashes and countless microphones were shoved closer to the podium. One could barely hear one question over another.

All For One chuckled as he muted the screen.

“S-sir, this is….” The doctor swallowed, the first sparks of insanity lit up his eyes, “If we can get a hold of Joker’s quirk….”

“Yes, it’s possible that his powers could bring me back to my prime.”

“Th-then!” He was practically vibrating, “Shall I gather the Nomu and-”

“Not so fast.” All For One swiveled in his chair to face the doctor, “Joker is a rather unique specimen, who knows how to adapt to any given situation. We must observe him, see more of his powers, demons, and special skills, before we can act. Perhaps we can feed Giran some lines and have him set Joker up with a ‘job’, maybe introduce a temporary rival or a suitable target. All for observation, of course. We must know what makes him tick before we even have a chance to capture him.”

“While that is true sir, what would happen if the heroes got to him first?”

“Please,” All For One’s chuckle echoed within the dark room, “The rat hasn’t picked up the strange energy signatures practically _leaking_ from the USJ, what chance do the rest of them stand? Look.”

All For One turned his head towards the screens, even though he was blind. Shigaraki was still destroying the bar in a mindless rage, while the Chief Of Police, heroes, and doctors were battered with endless questions. The reporters swarmed like roaches.

“The heroes are floundering. They don’t know how to handle someone as uncontrollable as Joker, the media will eat that up, people are drawn to him like sharks to a fresh kill. Even if the heroes somehow get the jump on the boy, I doubt they will keep him for long.” All For One’s grin returned, it sent a chill down the doctor’s spine, “If, by the unlikely chance they do capture him and find a way to keep him contained, then not even a cell in Tartarus will keep his marvelous quirk safe from me.”

“I understand.”

All For One leaned back in his chair, as content as a king on his throne.

“Then we have our work cut out for us.”

“Y-yes, sir!!”

~*~*~*~

Hitoshi had been blindsided when he woke up this morning.

The news stations and forums exploded with Joker’s newest accomplishment. Healed heroes, with ruthless security supposedly increasing at those hospitals as the hours went on, yet the vigilante was still at large. Radio hosts and newscasters alike debated on this topic, their voices growing ever more fervent as the morning dragged on.

He scrolled through the endless feed on his laptop, the taste of his mother’s coffee fresh on his tongue. Hitoshi set the cup down with a frown. He still loved his mother’s coffee, but it had nothing on Akira’s nectar of the gods. The cafe seemed emptier without Akira for some reason. He was a new addition, and yet he had stolen into their hearts and minds as if he were always meant to be here.

Hitoshi shook his head and downed the rest of the coffee.

He was about to close his laptop, when a new message pinged on his Herocord server. It was from a user he often debated with, one of many that had joined the server to talk about any number of heroes and vigilantes alike. Joker was the main topic more recently, though.

****[Cyn.der]** **

_So get this I was in my apartment in Hosu and the new mystery hero lands on the next building over!!_

****[Sharky2194]** **

_Wait, YOU WERE IN HOSU??_

_WHILE IT WAS BURNING_

_And you stayed in your apartment smh_

****[KuroNeko]** **

_this better be a good story_

****[CoffeeAddict2.0]** **

_If he’s not lying, that is._

****[Cyn.der]** **

_NO YOU GUYS I HAVE PROOF!_

_I got a picture!!_

_It looks like the exact same dude who fought off the Nomu with his dragon!_

Hitoshi rolled his eyes, but he froze when the picture was uploaded.

****[KuroNeko]** **

_you call that blob of pixels a picture?? I have an ancient pre-quirk polaroid that takes better ones_

****[Sharky2194]** **

_You might see a hidden message if you squint and tilt your head_

****[Cyn.der]** **

_Oh come on you guys! I was shaking from excitement!!_

_Can you blame me???_

He ignored the rest of the conversation, his eyes glued to the photo. It was dark and hard to see, but faint figures on the rooftop were highlighted by the city lights. One could see a person with long coattails and fancy, high-end boots, there was a feline on his shoulder and on his other arm was-

Hitoshi squinted and zoomed in, then flinched back as if he were struck. 

He had seen that bird before. It was iconic and unmistakable. Three legs and a necklace of magatama, the green hue to its feathers was almost washed out, but it was there.

His face drained of color and his heart rate picked up. No, Akira was simply off helping a friend, wasn’t he? Off to a town that _wasn’t_ Hosu, that _hadn’t_ been on fire or under attack from Stain and Nomu. One that didn’t get a glimpse of a mysterious new hero. But the news had mentioned Joker’s possible summoning quirk and healing abilities…

Hitoshi rubbed at his stomach.

_“You can thank the raven for that. And no, before you ask, he’s his own entity. I really am quirkless.”_

The monster with slick black wings and a top hat, the dragon, a healing demon, and now the raven. Was Akira lying then? No, every fiber of his being told him that he was telling the truth when he said he was quirkless. Was really possible for the demons to be their own entity? If that was true, then why did they obey him?

Then… was Akira the new mystery hero? Or…

Was he Joker?

_“Geez, would it kill you to make any noise when you walk? You remind me too much of my mom.”_

_“Actually,”_ Hitoshi had picked up on the odd mix of emotions in Akira’s eyes, _“In some circumstances, yes.”_

_“I’ll pretend that was just a joke.”_

He pulled up the video with Joker’s winged demon blowing Eraserhead off of the roof. Hitoshi scoured over the video countless times. There, in the corner of the screen, was movement. It was easily hidden by the blinding blue flames and the demon’s powerful wings, but it was there. The movement itself was in an odd shape, almost as if they were flowing pieces of fabric.

Or the end of coattails…

His breathing grew ragged as he rewatched all of the videos with the dragon. There he was again, commanding the dragon to attack the Nomu.

Hitoshi slammed his laptop closed, eyes wide and palms sweaty. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be.

_“What would you say to Joker if he were standing right in front of you?”_

He remembered how Akira seemed hesitant to ask, how he had stiffened when Hitoshi gave him an honest answer. He thought nothing of it at the time. His heart hammered out of his chest and he clutched the desk to ground himself from the sudden dizziness.

 _“Why are you so interested in Stain?”_ Hitoshi remembered asking, _“You’ve been asking a lot of questions.”_

 _“I just want to stay informed in case there’s anything new,”_ Akira had a smile that screamed innocence, _“Better than being completely ignorant, right?”_

It didn’t make any sense when apart, but if he lined up all of the pieces, then...

The ‘mystery hero’ was Joker.

“No way…”

_Akira was Joker._

~*~*~*~

Taneo jumped when the editor-in-chief slammed her hands on her desk. Her eyes shone with such zealous hunger that made them lean away in near cowardice, as if they were under the scrutiny of an angry goddess. The sudden movement threatened to topple the towering boxes that littered this tiny office space.

“You’re telling me nobody has any ideas?” She sighed and tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear, “Are we simply going to let our competitors trample all over us!?”

Taneo glanced over to his two coworkers.

One, Minato Haruka, was a round man with thick glasses, his dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The other, Yuma Takashi, was the youngest in the group, he sported spiked up hair and baggy clothes. 

“B-but,” Minato said, “Other stations already covered everything. There hasn’t been any new information on Joker since the press conference in Hosu. Maybe we can break down the message on Joker’s calling card?”

“Already been done a dozen times over.” She said, “We need something _new_.”

Taneo drummed his fingers as he stared at his phone, the darkened screen reflected his mismatched pupils. He couldn’t focus on his work, his eyes were drawn to his phone like a moth to a flame, impatience and fear swam around his heart like hungry piranhas. If his gut instincts were correct, then it would only be a matter of time before _he_ called.

“And we can’t just write random bs either,” Yuma leaned back on his seat, “Unless you want our reputation to go to shit.”

“You’re right.” She got up from her desk and paced the room, “I know! How about we do an article on Stain, then? The comparisons between he and Joker are uncanny if you ask me. Or, we could do a poll and have our readers vote which-”

Her voice was silenced by a shrill ringtone. Taneo’s heart thundered in his chest as an unknown number flashed across his screen, but he knew who it was. He ignored the editor’s piercing eyes as he held it up to his ear. His mouth suddenly went as dry as a desert.

“H-hello?”

_“Greetings once again, Taneo.”_

Joker’s voice was as chilling as the first time he heard it, he sat straight up in his chair and gripped his jacket, if only to hide his trembling. Minato and Yuma exchanged glances as his boss narrowed her eyes.

_“I take it you’ve been expecting my call?”_

“To put it bluntly, yeah. What do you need?”

Joker was silent for a few moments.

 _“What else?”_ Sarcasm dripped from his voice, _“I would like to offer you the chance of a lifetime, Taneo. The media will continue to fan the flames if I don’t cull the rumors and lies. Being compared to a serial killer sends the wrong message. It’s time for the truth to be revealed.”_

Taneo cleared his throat, “What are you getting at?”

 _“An interview, my dear man.”_ Joker chuckled, _“I’m offering you a live interview with yours truly. Japan is dying to get my side of things, the ‘bringer of justice’, the vigilante, the villain, the demon master, the healer. Whatever new names they come up with in the next half hour. So, what say you?”_

“I...” He swallowed, “Can I call you back? I need to think about this for a bit.”

_“Alright. This number will be available for one hour. Do call back before then.”_

Joker hung up, Taneo tore the phone away from his ear with a face splitting grin. He laughed, despite the thrill of fear and excitement dancing across his nerves.

“T-Taneo, are you okay?” Minato said with wide eyes, “You’re scaring me.”

“And you’re awfully pale, dude.” Yuma said.

Taneo placed his phone on his desk, then leaned forward with steepled fingers. His boss placed her hands on her hips, her expression as unreadable as a boulder.

“Who was that?”

“That,” Taneo’s grin turned into a smirk, “Was our one-way ticket to greatness. My best source just called with a juicy offer. I don’t think I can refuse.”

“About Joker?” She asked, to which he nodded, “Hmm, then I would call them a liar. Joker’s gone to ground ever since he healed those heroes.”

“And what if I told you that this source were Joker himself?”

The room went silent. Tension and shock stifled the air so much that he could cut it with a knife, perhaps serve it alongside some cheese and wine. He’ll definitely need a drink after this.

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Where do you think I got the video that ended Silver Falcon’s career?”

“That was you!?” His boss lunged at him with a manic look in her eyes, “Then you have to say yes!! No wait, a regular article just won’t do! A live radio interview, on the other hand…”

“W-wait a second!” Minato stood from his chair, “Wouldn’t that be illegal?”

“Nothing our lawyers can’t get us out of if it goes south. Do you remember when we interviewed a yakuza boss that one time? Or got a juicy scoop on a quirk kidnapping ring?”

“Y-yeah, but because of us the leaders of the kidnapping ring got away, and the yakuza boss interview was years ago-”

“Details, details!” She waved her hands, “Taneo, call him back and get it scheduled! I’m pulling in a few favors to secure us a studio!”

“Now, wait a minute.” Taneo held his hands up, “Why don’t we talk everything out with him, first? We might scare him off if he thinks we’re setting up a trap. He has powerful allies too, ones who could easily dox every one of us if we do this wrong. Or possibly worse.”

“And waste this _one_ chance to talk with him? To get information that nobody else will, not even the heroes? It would be foolish.” She clapped her hands together, her eyes full of stars, “Well, what are you waiting for!? Call him back this instant!”

Taneo huffed in amusement as he picked up his phone and dialed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT TIME on 'Doth Thou Even Steal Hearts?'!!!
> 
> Fish...?


	24. Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The voices reverberated in a double echo, Joker and his interviewer were just past this door.

The stage was set.

Mona patrolled the surrounding buildings, any nearby heroes would be none the wiser to the pleasant breeze that swept through the streets. He was more than ready for this debut, Aiba was waiting for his signal to spread the radio broadcast all over Japan.

The studio was a tiny little building placed in Musutafu, right under U.A.’s shadow. It was a better part of the neighborhood, and Yatagarasu had watched this building for the last several hours to make sure it was safe. His personas, Arsene in particular, buzzed with excitement as Taneo opened a side door and stepped out into the alley. The man looked up and down the dark path with furrowed brows.

 _“Let the show begin.”_ Arsene whispered.

Taneo jumped out of his skin as Joker dropped from the sky and landed at the mouth of the alley. The street lights behind him obscured his face, his shadow stretched and overtook the cramped alleyway.

“Geez, kid.” He put a hand to his heart, “You know how to scare the bejeezus out of someone.”

Joker stood fully. He dusted himself off, his gentle footsteps echoed as he walked with practiced confidence. An easy grin was plastered on his face.

Taneo blinked, his eyes scanned up and down Joker’s intricate costume. From a single glance he could tell that the quality of the tailcoat alone cost tens of thousands of yen, if not more. The weapons on his hips were of the same quality, but another item caught his attention. It was an immaculate crystal skull, it hung off of Joker’s belt and gently bounced with each step, its hollow eyes sent chills down his spine. His gaze snapped to the ground when Joker approached with puddles of brilliant color, then held out a blood-red glove.

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Taneo.”

“Likewise.” Taneo shook Joker’s hand, “Is that part of your quirk?”

Joker chuckled as he kicked the ground with his heel, shades of neon vermilion and purple radiated from his boot.

“Why don’t we save the questions for the interview?”

“Right,” Taneo turned and opened the door, “The rest of the team is already inside. They can’t wait to meet you.”

Joker smiled as a light breeze ruffled his hair, a ‘good luck’ from Mona. Taneo led him through empty hallways and vacant rooms before he stood at another door. They stepped into a larger room with a couch and plush chairs, a coffee table littered with refreshments, windows on the left side of the room showcased equipment, and the live studio itself. They weren’t alone.

Suddenly, he was rushed by a woman with long hair and eyes as sharp as his dagger.

“Joker!” Her hand jutted out, “I’m so glad we could meet in person. My name is Mitsuo Chihiro, editor-in-chief for Juzo News!”

Joker shook hands, then glanced at the two men behind her. The younger one was giving Joker a bug-eyed look, he blinked several times as if he thought this was a dream. The other wasn’t as shell shocked, but admiration and awe lined every part of his body.

“M-my name I-is Yuma Takashi, Joker sir! I’m a big fan!!”

“Minato Haruka. I-it’s nice to meet you. What should we call you?”

“Just Joker would be fine.”

Taneo chuckled as Joker shook their hands. Yuma’s soul was about to float out of his body, and he stared at his hand in a way that suggested he might not ever wash it. Mitsuo shook her head and sighed, but there was a playful smile to her lips.

“Alright,” She said, drawing their eyes to her, “As agreed, Taneo will host the interview. Yuma, Minato, and I will be in the other room managing the technical side of things.”

“And one other.” Joker said.

“One other?” Mitsuo furrowed her brows, “Who?”

“One moment.”

Joker dug out his phone and sent the text to Aiba. Suddenly, the surrounding speakers buzzed to life and a familiar voice came through.

 _“I’m in!”_ Aiba chuckled, _“That was easier than I thought it would be.”_

“What? Who are you?” Taneo asked.

_“Nice to meet you, everyone! You can call me La Brava, I’m going to broadcast this interview all over the country!”_

La Brava? Joker smiled softly, it seems living with Gentle Criminal has already gotten her out of her shell. And she gained a code name to boot. He was so proud.

“Right, we were just about to begin!” Mitsuo turned to Yuma and Minato, “You two start setting up, I’ll be there in a moment!”

“Y-yes ma’am!!” They shouted in unison and darted into the other room.

Mitsuo stared at Joker, her brows furrowed.

“There is one thing I don’t understand,” She said, “Are you sure you don’t want your voice to be disguised like Taneo’s? It’s going to be even more dangerous for you since your friend is spreading it all over Japan.”

“Oh, that. You don’t need to worry,” Joker ran a hand through his hair and smirked, “After all, I won’t be the only star of the show.”

Taneo and Mitsuo cried out at the bright flash of blue and smothering heat, Minato and Yuma pressed their faces into the window to watch. Arsene was bathed in flames, the light cast a myriad of colors on his wings and made his eyes smolder like pure hellfire.

The flames fizzled out as Arsene spread his wings, encompassing the whole room in velvety black feathers. Joker experienced a wave of smug satisfaction when their jaws hit the floor, Mitsuo in particular was grinning like a madwoman.

“I am Arsene, the Pillager of Twilight!!” Arsene tipped his hat, “At your service.”

“N-nice to meet you, Arsene.” Taneo then stared at Joker, “I don’t understand. What does he have to do with disguising your voice?”

****“I am thou, thou art I.”** **

Joker and Arsene’s voices trilled through the room, they harmonized like the unified strings of an orchestra. A violin and cello with perfect melodies.

“A few of us wanted the chance for our voices to be heard,” Arsene said with a wave of his arm, “And will partake in this play.”

“I hope you don’t mind a few more actors?” Joker tilted his head, “I just couldn’t say no to them.”

“The more the merrier!” Mitsuo cackled and rubbed her hands together with a devilish smirk, “This will be the best interview of our career, boys! Let’s get this show on the road!”

Taneo chuckled as he stepped into the next room, Joker and Arsene were at his heels.

It was dark, the walls were lined with sound proof pads. Arsene had to duck and fold his wings to fit through the door, but it was spacious enough for him to stand comfortably as Joker sank into the closest chair. Taneo adjusted the various microphones and handed him a headset, then took the chair opposite of Joker. He placed a small notebook on the table and opened it.

“You ready for this, you two?”

****“More than ready.”** **

With a confident nod he signaled the others, they fiddled with the machinery and Mitsuo gave them a thumbs up. The green ‘On Air!’ light turned on.

The interview began. 

~*~*~*~

“You should get more sleep, Tsukauchi. The bags under your eyes are getting deeper than mine.”

“Funny. I could say the same to you, Eraser.” Tsukauchi said as he leaned back in his chair.

“Sleep does the body good.” Nezu sipped his tea and hummed, “The both of you should adopt proper sleep schedules. Just look at my fur, for example! You can’t get this marvelous sheen by skimping out on rest!”

Tsukauchi glanced around his office littered with ceramic cups.

The aroma of cheap coffee was permeated within the walls at this point. The pile of papers on his desk were _this_ close to turning into a skyscraper, not to mention the cork board turned pincushion on the wall behind him, it labeled all of Joker’s ‘accomplishments’ so far. The entire mess with Joker, Hosu, and the healed heroes was a riot with the media, he and the Chief had barely contained the fallout.

They would scrape by at this rate, as long as Joker didn’t do anything else.

“As much as I would like to,” Tsukauchi said with an exhausted sigh, “I don’t think it’s possible at the moment. The police force has been really understaffed since the former commissioner and his cohorts went to jail. There’s simply too much work to be done and too few hands on deck.”

“I blame our problem children.” Aizawa said, “And one cocky brat in particular.”

Nezu swirled his tea, “It is… an interesting conundrum. Our precious students have already faced harrowing situations, throw in the Nomu and Hero Killer and it could have been a tragedy beyond our imagining. But, we throw in the wild card-”

“Joker.” Tsukauchi said.

“Yes. Joker appears in Hosu, he wipes out the Nomu and extinguishes the fires that other heroes had trouble with. All in the blink of an eye.” Nezu took a breath and sipped his tea, “Then, he rescues our precious students from the clutches of a serial killer. Tell me, detective, did my students lie when you interviewed them?”

“No,” Tsukauchi pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off a headache, “I didn’t pick up a single lie, not even when Joker threatened them and made his escape.”

“Hmm, but that _was_ a lie.”

Aizawa narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean, Nezu?”

Nezu shook his head. He leaned back and crossed his legs, then looked in between them with those beady eyes.

“Iida Tenya has a strong sense of justice. I find it hard to believe that the boy would willingly let Joker go, even under a threat.”

Aizawa and Tsukauchi exchanged glances, then Tsukauchi leaned forward on his desk.

“But, Joker did threaten them-”

Nezu held up a paw, “He did, but not for the reason you’re imagining. The most logical thing for Joker to do was to guarantee Ingenium’s health in exchange for his freedom.”

“Then why threaten them at all?” Aizawa muttered.

“To cover their bases.” Nezu set his cup on the table, then smiled, “Joker is intelligent enough to foresee the consequences of his actions. The media would be in an uproar if they ever got hold of the truth over Stain’s arrest. That, plus promising young heroes letting a known criminal go in exchange for a personal favor? They would have an absolute field day. But if Joker ‘threatened’ them and your quirk didn’t pick up a lie…”

Tsukauchi face-palmed, “I see what you mean.”

“I’m giving them detention.” Aizawa growled, “They never should have been in that situation.”

“Well, what’s done is done, Aizawa.” Nezu suddenly grinned, “Besides, all of this is just mere conjecture. I doubt the boys would sell out Joker, much less now that several heroes have been healed.”

“There’s something else, too.”

“Oh?” Nezu’s eyes lit up, “Do go on, detective.”

“Joker said something to your students that’s been bothering me,” Tsukauchi reached into his desk and pulled out the note pad, he opened it to a certain page, “Joker implied that he had family, but they ‘paid the ultimate price because he wasn’t strong enough to help them.’ I made sure to write down Iida-kun’s exact words.”

“Family?” Aizawa said with narrowed eyes.

“He wasn’t strong enough to protect them…?” Nezu froze, then his fur bristled, “It can’t be.”

“What?” Aizawa said as he and Tsukauchi exchanged uneasy glances, “I don’t like that look in your eye, Nezu.”

“On Joker’s recent calling cards, he said he was the ‘Leader of the Phantom Thieves Of Hearts’, thieves as in plural. What if….” Nezu glared into his empty cup, “What if Joker and his cat weren’t the only experimental subjects? What if there were others? The most likely case is that it was a small group of children. Did they sacrifice themselves during their escape, to allow their leader to go free? Does he blame himself for not being strong enough to protect them?”

"It might piece together why he was at the USJ." Aizawa said.

"Maybe." Nezu's paws came together, a silent rage bubbled in his heart, "If they chose that moment to make an escape, with their captors preoccupied during the attack..."

Tsukauchi went as pale as a sheet, his lips pursed, “That… could make sense.”

“What monster would experiment on children?” Aizawa growled as his eyes glowed crimson.

Nezu and Tsukauchi looked at each other. Perhaps it was time to clue Aizawa in on the evil known as All For One, but that was a conversation best had with Yagi in the room. Tsukauchi released another sigh as his heart sank like a rock.

They steeped on those thoughts for several moments.

“Joker’s powers are…” Tsukauchi bit his lip, then shook his head.

“More than what we could’ve imagined?” Nezu said softly.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“He’s painted a hefty target on his back, restoring those heroes to full health without any side effects. Everybody will want to get their hands on him, villain, hero, or otherwise. His powers are truly incomprehensible.” Nezu bit his lip, his nose twitched oddly, “It makes me wonder what tortures he went through to get them, or what his former keepers are doing behind the scenes. The worst part is that I believe we’re underestimating him. We still have not seen the boy’s true potential.”

“And that’s what worries me.” Tsukauchi said, “What would he do if he were backed in a corner?”

“That’s what Midnight’s quirk is for.” Aizawa said as he scratched his stubble, “To put him out before it gets to that point, then we can contain him before he wakes up.”

“I truly hope her quirk works on him.” Nezu said.

“Why wouldn’t it?” Aizawa raised a brow at Nezu.

Nezu opened his mouth to speak, but they were interrupted when the door slammed open. Officer Sansa, more frazzled than Tsukauchi had ever seen him, rushed inside.

“Sansa? What’s wrong?”

“The Chief is calling an emergency meeting!” He said, “The closest group of heroes are gathering for it, Endeavor included.”

Their eyes widened.

“What? What’s going on?” Tsukauchi asked.

Sansa withdrew his phone and unlocked it, then he selected a certain app and placed the phone faced down on the desk.

_“-e’re coming at you in a live interview with none other than the infamous vigilante himself, Joker!”_

Tsukauchi stood, the brisk movement sent his chair screeching back, “No way.”

 ** _ **“It’s a pleasure being here, T-san**_**.”

The ethereal voice sent goosebumps down their arms. It was deep and melodic, twin voices coalescing into an unnatural and terrifying timbre. Nezu’s fur stood on end, but his maniacal grin surfaced. That frightening gleam entered the rodent’s eyes as he swiped the phone.

_“Let’s get right into it, shall we? The whole of Japan is talking about you, Joker. It all started with Silver Falcon before-”_

“When did this start?” Nezu asked.

“Just a few minutes ago,” Sansa took back his phone and muted it, “Our people are already working on narrowing down the signal, so we should have a location soon.”

Tsukauchi nodded, “Eraser? Nezu?”

“I’ll call Midnight,” Aizawa said, “You’d be insane not to bring us with you.”

“There’s no way I’m missing this either, detective.” Nezu said with a chuckle, “Joker has made another move, and now it’s my turn. Will we be able to checkmate him, or does he yet have a deeper strategy? Ah, what I wouldn’t give to have a conversation with him over tea.”

“The tea in prison isn’t that good,” Sansa said.

“The kid needs our _help_ ,” Aizawa said, “Not a prison cell.”

“Yeah, with everything that he’s done so far?” Sansa rolled his eyes, “Good luck convincing a judge that the chaotic menace needs ‘help’.”

“We don’t have time for this,” Tsukauchi snatched up his notebook and pen, then rounded his desk, “Where’s this emergency meeting, Sansa?”

“Not too far. I’m driving.”

“We’ll be there in no time with your erratic driving skills.”

“As long as we get there in one piece.” Nezu hopped down and skittered towards the door, “Let’s go!”

The officer grinned as he led the way.

~*~*~*~

The sound of a spoon scraping on a plate was unnaturally loud in the empty nest.

Akira and Morgana had yet to return.

Kaito sighed and leaned back in his chair, the flavor of the last bite of curry simmered on his tongue. He should be used to it by now, the loneliness that accompanied a tiny internet cafe such as his, nestled away in some small street that barely had any foot traffic. It was a miracle that the Raven’s Nest lasted this long, and would continue thanks to a snarky kid and his cat.

Kaito had no family left, and he rather liked the atmosphere that Akira and Morgana brought in. Getting a taste of Akira’s homemade cooking was a bonus. He knew they would find their way and leave like Aiba did, and he would be alone again, but until then they would be welcome at his door.

Suddenly, his phone chimed with countess media notifications. It vibrated nonstop until he thought it would crash, then it stopped. With a slow blink, he unlocked it. His spoon dropped with a clatter when he saw the title of the first news article. He swiveled his chair and practically lunged to the computer. Kaito had seen the videos and the media discussions since Hosu, but this was on another level.

The broadcast was easy to find, and Joker’s dual voice banished the isolation choking his heart.

A tiny smile bloomed on his face. A bubbling laugh, such a foreign sound these days, escaped him. He slipped off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes as his smile turned genuine.

“This kid….”

~*~*~*~

“Let’s get right into it, shall we?” Taneo said, “The whole of Japan is talking about you, Joker. It all started with Silver Falcon before Stain came into the picture. How did you do it?”

****“I’m afraid you have to be a little bit more specific.”** **

“That’s fair.” Taneo chuckled, “Before we dive into Silver Falcon, why don’t you share why you became a vigilante in the first place?”

****“To help people.”** **

“Help people? But then why not go through proper channels, like applying to a hero school? Or becoming a police officer?”

**_**“Alright, I’ll answer your question with one of my own. What would you do if you saw someone suffering before your very eyes and every adult you confided in turned their back, or worse yet, covered the abuser’s tracks? Do you abandon the victims because you don’t have the ‘training’ or a fancy licence, or take justice into your own hands to help?”** _ **

“That…” Sadness flooded Taneo’s eyes, “That’s a tough question.”

**_**“Is it?”** _ **

“Why not report the abuser to the heroes or police?”

**_**“No so-called ‘heroes’ came to help, and any call to the police was swept under the rug.”** _ **

“It sounds to me like you’ve personally lived through something like that.”

 ** _ **“I have.**_** ** **I’ve dealt with people like Silver Falcon before,**** ****the ones who think they can trample over the innocent and get away with it. Silver Falcon was getting too arrogant though, and that made him sloppy.”****

“Sloppy how?”

****“He left all of the evidence right in his office.”** **

“You _broke_ into his office? A hero agency is supposed to be well secured.”

 ** **“It was, but it’s nothing we haven’t encountered before.”**** Joker smirked and leaned into the microphone, ****“We only needed to get the evidence to the right hands, but the police were riddled with his spies.”****

“Is that why you sent one of your demons to the police station?”

Arsene’s feathers ruffled at being called a demon. Joker reached over and ran a hand down one of his wings to calm him down.

****“One thing to note is that they hate being called ‘demons’.”** **

Taneo’s eyes widened, “Oh, my apologies.”

****“As long as you learn from your mistakes. Now, as for the police station…”** **

“Mere theatrics to expose the villains!” Arsene stated with a dramatic bow, “Our ruse made their treachery known, thus they fell with their master.”

“Ah, one thing I should mention to our listeners,” Taneo looked at Joker, who nodded, “As I’m sure you’re all aware by his voice, Joker isn’t the only star of today’s interview! I have the pleasure of sharing our studio with the infamous being who blew Eraserhead off of a rooftop. And also might have been responsible for destroying a police station.”

“And I shall not be the only one!” Arsene held out his arms, “A few of us shall speak here today.”

“I look forward to it. Moving on from what we already know about Silver Falcon.” Taneo clasped his hands together on the table, “Another popular question that’s been bouncing around are the specifics of your quirk, Joker. A few of your friends, specifically the one with you right now, have made waves via viral video. What I’m asking is, where do they come from? How does your quirk work exactly?”

****“Oh? And where is the fun in spoiling the surprise?”** **

“You don’t want to share?”

****“Well, a magician that shows his hand ruins the entire show, does he not? Once you know how the trick works, then that’s it.”** **

“You can’t give us even a little hint? It’s been a hot topic to debate online.”

Joker and Arsene laughed. The microphones picked up the gentle _woosh_ of flames as Arsene fell back, then the fluttering of gossamer wings and the gentle folds of a silk dress. Titania smirked when the others’ jaws dropped at her beautiful visage.

Joker leaned forward and spoke, the intricacies of feminine and masculine voices wove together in an enchanting waltz.

****“Fine, perhaps I can share a tiny tidbit. A small hint just for you, T-san. Let’s just say… that most people cannot dive into the Sea of Human Souls without going mad.”** **

A few seconds of silence pass, and Taneo raised an eyebrow. Mitsuo and the others were giving him weird looks through the window, too.

“I honestly have no idea what that even means. Is that all you can give us on your quirk?”

****“That’s it. Make of it what you will.”** **

“Alright, we’ll look forward to any theories that pop up online.” Taneo’s eyes lingered over Titania, then he glanced down at his notepad, “But back to the topic at hand. We covered Silver Falcon, so the next thing would be Stain. People began to compare you to Stain after Silver Falcon and Commissioner Inu were arrested. How did you feel about them comparing you to Stain?”

 ** **“I would like to get one thing straight,”**** Joker and Titania tilted their heads in eerie unison, ** **“I am not Stain.”****

“And how would you separate yourself from him?”

 ** **“Stain was a serial killer. He wanted a more just society through an ocean of bloodshed, but that just doesn’t work. Fear only works for so long before people decide to rise up against it.”**** They sighed in harmony, ****“Sure, the hero society could use a bit of readjusting, but as I said to Stain, its unrealistic to compare each and every hero to All Might.”****

Taneo’s jaw dropped, “Wait, back up a second. You _talked_ to Stain?”

****“I did. I gave him a calling card and then he tried to stick me with his sword.”** **

“You… you fought Stain.”

****“Yup. The media didn’t cover that, did they?”** **

“They didn’t. What did you say to Stain in your calling card?”

Joker got out the crinkled card, ****“Here, see for yourself.”****

“Can I read it out loud?” Taneo reached for it in awe.

****“Be my guest. I’m sure our listeners are dying to hear it.”** **

“R-right.” Taneo cleared his throat, “Akaguro Chizome, formerly Stendhal, now the King Of Wrath known as Stain. Thy creed is based on misguided justice, a wrongly forged contract written in sanguine innocence. Denounce thy crown cast from an ocean of blood, or face the consequences of your own actions. From, The Leader Of The Phantom Thieves Of Hearts - Joker. Wow, that’s… how did you get some of this information?”

****“A little bird told me. Stain didn’t like it very much, hence why it’s so crinkled.”** **

“I’m sure.” Taneo handed back the card, “Any other comment you’d like to add in regards to Stain?” 

****“Well, not Stain in particular, but in regards to the Hosu attacks. The media glossed over the epic fight between me and the Nomu, but a civilian got video proof of that.”** **

“You’re the new mystery hero that they’ve been going on about!?”

****“The one and only. I’ll bet every last yen that the heroes already knew, but wanted to keep it quiet to save face. Can’t have a dashingly handsome vigilante coming to save the day, can we? Didn’t you notice how they talked nonstop about the mystery hero the night of the attack, but then haven’t said a peep about it since?”** **

“That… yes, actually. Your demo- er, _friends_ are as varied and frightening as they are powerful, then. To have fought both the Nomu and Stain is nothing short of incredible. There’s not only a video of what happened with the Nomu, but a few that have captured the dragon flying over the city.”

 ****“You’re telling me. My dragon would love to give his thoughts on everything, but he’s too big for this studio. I doubt you’d want to pay** ** **_**that** _ ** ****repair bill.”** **

“No thanks.” Taneo chuckled, “What was fighting Stain like?”

Joker frowned. The media claimed that Endeavor was solely responsible for Stain’s arrest. There were no mentions of Midoriya, Todoroki, or Iida. Either it was a move to protect the kids, or to gather up any shred of dignity that the Hero Commission could get. Probably a bit of both, but he would rather not throw the 1-A kids under the bus.

****“I won’t lie and say that it was easy. Stain was a skilled assassin, many heroes have fallen because of him.”** **

“Then how did you survive?”

****“Well, as you can see, I don’t fight alone. Stain and I crossed blades until Endeavor showed up.”** **

“Okay. Hold up.” Taneo’s grin turned feral as excitement lit up his eyes, “You claim to have fought the Nomu and Stain. Now you’re throwing in _Endeavor_? As in, the number two hero?”

****“I am, my good man. I danced with both Endeavor and Stain. Luckily the Hero Killer misstepped and got the short end of the stick, so here I am while Stain has all the comfort of a cold cell.”** **

Taneo whistled, “Your skills speak for themselves.”

****“Thank you, I try my best to put on a good show. Old Flameo wasn’t very happy about it, though.”** **

He sputtered, “Old Flameo?”

****“Flameo, hotman! I don’t think Endeavor appreciated my godly sense of humor, because he shot fire at me. It was pretty rude.”** **

“Uh... I bet.” Taneo wrote the name on his pad and circled it, “You must have your own take on society then, having fought against Stain and his ideals. He idolized All Might above all others.”

Joker nodded.

“So I guess my next question is this. What do you think about-”

~*~*~*~

Midoriya had stood frozen in the middle of the darkened street. His simple night time jog to clear his head turned sour when his radio station cut out and there was nothing but static, then the interview started.

He gaped at his phone as it progressed. Joker’s voice was mesmerizing, it sounded ethereal and omnipotent, then switched on the fly when the woman’s voice filtered through. The hint about Joker’s quirk left his mind reeling at the possibilities. The Sea of Human Souls? What was that? How did it coincide with Joker’s quirk? Did it have something to do with mythological figures like Cerberus and Titania?

If only he had his notebook to write his theories down.

His heart rate spiked when the interviewer continued.

_“So I guess my next question is this. What do you think about All Might and today’s hero society as a whole?”_

**_**“Hmm, I’ll start by picking apart the number one hero.”** _ **

_“Oh?”_

**_**“He’s the Symbol Of Peace. All Might has saved tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives all by himself. He curbed crime and took down more villains than we could ever hope to count. The man is pretty much a god among men.”** _ **

_“I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there somewhere.”_

**_**“Right. He’s pulled off all of these great things, but there is something that people tend to forget.”** _ **

_“And that is?”_

**_**“That he’s** _ ** **_ **not** _ ** **_**a god, he’s a mortal man. The singular pillar of society, the ‘Symbol Of Peace’ that has guaranteed Japan’s safety for decades. What I’m getting at is that this pillar will collapse, All Might can’t continue like this forever. He will fall one day and pass on into the history books. What do you think will happen when he does?”** _ **

Midoriya clutched his phone tighter. The plastic creaked in his hands as he bit his lip, his stomach dropped in icy cold dread. The 1-A chat room exploded in the past few minutes and he got endless notifications from media websites scrambling to cover this, but he silenced them all so he could listen.

 _“I…”_ T-san cleared his throat, _“I can imagine a surge in villain activity, not to mention unrest within the country.”_

**_**“Exactly.”** _ **

_“But that’s why we have other heroes. Endeavor would take the title of number one.”_

**_**“Perhaps. While Old Flameo is a powerful hero, nobody will be able to replace All Might.”** _ **

_“Then what are you proposing? You have a solution to replace the Symbol Of Peace?”_

**_**“Well, why does it have to be just one Symbol? Why not two or three, perhaps ten or more? Nobody should have to shoulder the weight of the world by themselves. I honestly feel sorry for All Might, he must be a lonely man.”** _ **

_“Who would fill those spots though?”_

**_**“Who else? With All Might gone, the next generation of heroes will go through a trial by fire. I fought alongside some of Class 1-A during the USJ invasion. Those kids have the talent to walk through that fire and come out for the better.”** _ **

_“So you think all of 1-A should be the new pillars?”_

There was another hiss of flame in the microphone and T-san’s gasp could be heard.

**_**“Not just 1-A.”** _ **

Joker’s voice changed again. The woman’s beautiful tone alternated into a more masculine voice, it rang through with such crystal clarity and noble grace that it could belong to an emperor.

**_**“What about 1-B? I feel like they don’t get enough credit when they work just as hard as their sister class. They might even surpass 1-A if they put in enough effort. Not to mention the senior classes at U.A. or those of other hero schools. Or… anybody who longs to be a hero can be one. Everybody has that potential to rise up, but it is up to them to do something with it.”** _ **

_“I see your point. I might regret asking this question, but when do you think the singular pillar will fall?”_

**_**“Who knows? It could be tomorrow, a month from now, a year. Maybe a few years if you’re lucky.”** _ **

Midoriya released a shaky breath as he hugged his phone to his chest.

Joker wasn’t wrong, but All Might wouldn’t just collapse one day, right?

All Might would stay at his side and help him train with One For All, wouldn’t he? There was no way Joker could know about All Might’s injury, but the media has picked up on All Might’s lessened time in the public. Maybe Joker just put the pieces together?

Midoriya’s heart clouded with uncertainty.

“All Might…”

_~*~*~*~_

The tissue came away with crimson blotches.

Glass shards stabbed at his insides as he collapsed on the couch in a coughing fit. Yagi Toshinori’s throat burned as he gulped in a few ragged breaths, his hand clutched his scarred side. He waited in agony for it to subside, paralyzed by pain.

Joker’s otherworldly voice trilled through his apartment.

Tsukauchi sent him a text about it, but his friend had said they would take care of it, to not push himself. He wiped away the trickle of blood on his lips. If only he hadn’t run out of time today, if he had just conserved some tiny fragment of his strength, then he would be at his friend’s side in a heartbeat.

_“Another question, and I have no doubt that listeners will be on the edge of their seats for this one! Why did you decide to heal Stain’s living victims?”_

Yagi flinched. It was as if the gods decided to taunt him tonight.

**_**“What other way to prove that I am not like him? To heal those afflicted was to undue Stain’s work.”** _ **

_“And that you did. What do you think they’ll do with their second chance?”_

**_**“If they don’t return to being heroes and try to pursue a normal life, that’s their right. If they return to heroism and do more good by it, then all the better.”** _ **

_“And if they don’t use it for good?”_

**_**“I made it clear in my calling card. A gift given can easily be taken away, it’s up to them on what they do with it. We’ll be keeping a close eye on them.”** _ **

_“I’ll take that as a warning to them. Now, a lot of people have wondered how such miracles were possible. All of the heroes claimed to have seen a floating woman in their hospital rooms.”_

Yagi’s eyes snapped to his phone on the coffee table when sizzling fire crackled over the microphone.

_“You mean me?”_

This woman’s voice drifted through the air like velvet.

_“It was you?”_

_“Indeed,”_ She said, _“It is I who healed those heroes.”_

_“How did you do it?”_

_“Hmph, my healing magic is the best in the stock.”_

_“Did you say magic? Don’t you mean a quirk?”_

_“I-”_ There was a ruffle in the background, _“Yes, that is what I meant. My abilities are powerful, but it is Joker who commands them. My eternal vow stands with him, and him alone.”_

 _“Alright, there’s no need to glare at me. I know when to move on.”_ T-san cleared his throat, _“But people will want to know if you’ll continue using your powers to heal? If not heroes, then perhaps civilians in hospitals?”_

 ** _ **“My ultimate goal is to help people,”**_** They answered in unison, **_**“So… anything is possible.”**_**

Yagi reached for his phone. His hand trembled and it tumbled onto the floor, silencing the broadcast. He cursed under his breath as his insides rejected the sudden movements, the wad of tissue in his hands gained several new blotches.

He gasped when the fit was over, sunken eyes flicking down to his phone.

If it’s possible….

No, he shouldn’t get his hopes up. What vigilante would heal the number one hero? Maybe he could make a public request, appeal to Joker’s skewed sense of justice? But no, that wouldn’t work either, it would be a PR suicide. Tears burned in his eyes as his side spasmed. Despite himself, he couldn’t help the sudden longing.

For the first time in five years, he had a tiny chance to return his body to normal. His doctors all said it was impossible to make a full recovery, but Joker took what was ‘impossible’, spat right in their faces, and accomplished it with a suave smugness as if to say ‘You didn’t try hard enough.’.

Then… could that mean that his old friend’s prediction could be avoided, too?

He grasped his chest at a sudden rush of warmth, it pounded with the final strengths of a dying star. What was this feeling? It couldn’t be… 

A _vigilante_ sparked hope in his heart.

Yagi decided not to linger on the irony of it.

~*~*~*~

The quiet neighborhood was hounded by police cars, the crackle of radio static and hushed voices filtered through the surrounding streets.

Heroes and officers swarmed around the small building nestled within the city. It was unassuming at first, but the signal their teams worked so hard to track down was located here. Kamui Woods covered the south with a squad of policemen, Mount Lady and Death Arms covered the north with their own. Edgeshot patrolled the eastern side. Backdraft worked to block off the nearby streets, Endeavor had his sidekicks cover the rest.

That just left the small infiltration team.

“Midnight and I will go in first.” Eraserhead said as he stepped towards the alley.

She nodded and readied herself.

“Alright.” Tsukauchi took a deep breath to calm his rabbiting heart, “I’ll follow just behind you with my team.”

“And me!” Nezu climbed on Tsukauchi’s shoulder, “I wouldn’t miss this for the world!”

“Does everyone have their masks?” Tsukauchi said, “The last thing we need is to be affected by Midnight’s quirk.”

Tsukauchi’s officers shuffled as they placed their masks, Eraser’s gas mask was hidden by his scarf. Nezu had one made just for him.

“And I’m supposed to just wait out here?” Endeavor growled.

They all had earpieces to listen in on this ‘interview’, which was still in progress, but not for much longer. Endeavor’s temper flared when Joker called him ‘Old Flameo’. Any chuckles from that died underneath Endeavor’s fiery glare.

“Yes. We have all the other exits and entrances blocked off.” Tsukauchi said, undaunted, “Wait here with the rest of our teams in case Joker makes a run for it. You’ll direct them as you see fit.”

The hero scoffed, but he crossed his arms and planted himself in front of the alleyway like a brick wall.

“Let’s go.” Eraserhead was the first to move.

His footsteps were as soft as silk, Midnight trailed just behind him. They reached the side door and Eraserhead put his ear to it, then opened it with a curt nod. He cringed when the door hinges screeched.

A few seconds pass and nothing happened.

Midnight winked at him, to which he rolled his eyes. It was obvious that the building had still been in use recently, with the lack of dust and grime on the floors. They crossed one hallway and into another, then he pressed his back to the wall as they neared their first room. He slowly peeked around the door frame.

“It’s clear.” He whispered.

“Roger.”

Midnight stalked into the room after him. It was empty, for the most part. A few random chairs and a table, boxes and other miscellaneous items were piled in the corners. It was a shabby break room by the looks of it, and they didn’t give it another glance as they went into the next hallway.

He jumped when Midnight suddenly grabbed his shoulder and whirled around to glare at her. She put a single finger to her lips and pointed to the door on the opposite end of the hall. There were voices.

Eraser turned on the device in his ear.

_“It is I who healed those heroes.”_

_“How did you do it?”_

_“Hmph, my healing magic is the best in the stock.”_

_“Did you say magic? It’s not a quirk?”_

The voices reverberated in a double echo, Joker and his interviewer were just past this door. He gave Midnight a nod, and she stepped back and whispered into her communicator. Eraserhead reached under his scarf to make sure his gas mask was secure, he inched towards the door and got his capture weapon ready. Midnight crept to the other side, a sudden seriousness came over her as she prepared to rip her sleeve.

He gave the signal.

Three…

Two….

One….

He kicked the door open and they leapt in together.

The air gained a deceptively sweet scent, the vapor dyed the room in a purple mist. Eraserhead grasped at his scarf as his eyes glowed red behind his goggles.

But…

There was nobody here.

“Eraserhead! Midnight!” Tsukauchi called.

“It’s clear!”

Tsukauchi and his team flooded the room, weapons at the ready. 

“It looks like…” Midnight stepped up to a table and picked up a phone, “We’ve been duped.”

The interview played over the phone. Tsukauchi hovered next to Midnight, the device was cheap, most likely a useless burner.

“Search the room,” Tsukauchi said as Midnight muted it, “There could be some clues.”

Nezu’s ears flicked as he picked up a certain noise, “Wait, do you hear that?”

Everybody went silent, ears strained.

“Is that…” Midnight whispered.

“Ticking?” Eraserhead’s eyes went wide in realization, “Shit! Everybody get down, _now_!”

Eraserhead tackled Midnight and Tsukauchi as other officers hit the floor. He expected an explosion, heat, maybe blinding pain before it rendered him unconscious or worse. Not… this.

No explosion went off.

Instead, there was the sound of party poppers, streamers and glitter rained down from the ceiling in a deluge of red, black, and gold. It showered everything in a thick, sparkling layer.

“Uh, you think you can let us up, Sho?” Midnight teased, “I think the danger has passed.”

He scoffed as they stood, covered in cursed glitter.

“Is anybody injured?” Tsukauchi called.

“No sir!”

“I’m going to have glitter in places where glitter should never be…”

“Too much information, Officer Kai.”

“Ugh,” Eraserhead dusted himself off, only to attract more sparkles, “What the hell is this?”

A sudden _thunk_ made them jump. Eraserhead’s hand latched onto his capture weapon as something fell onto the table from a latch in the ceiling. It was a white box with a voluptuous red ribbon tied around it. Nezu jumped from Tsukauchi’s shoulder, more glitter than mouse at this point, his nose twitching.

“Ooh, a present!” He stated happily.

“I’m not sure we should open it.” Eraserhead said.

“There’s nothing explosive inside, at least.” Another officer with red eyes approached, dark hair smothered with twinkling colors, “My quirk confirms it.”

“Thanks, Officer Akane.” Tsukauchi said, “But we should wait until- Nezu!”

Nezu already untied the ribbon and tore apart the wrapping paper. The bland cardboard box was ripped open and Nezu peeked inside. His fur puffed up and his tail straightened as if he had been electrocuted.

“This… this is…!”

Eraserhead rolled his eyes and peeked inside, “Is that a stuffed animal?”

“Not just any animal, Eraserhead! Don’t you understand what it is!?” Nezu pulled out the brightly colored plushy from the box, it was as big as Nezu himself, “It’s a herring! But more than that, it’s a _red_ herring!!”

Eraserhead groaned as Nezu fell back onto the table with the plushy in his arms, he rolled around in the glitter as his manic laughter permeated the air.

“There’s something else,” Aizawa pulled out the infamous calling card with a glower, “It says ‘Better luck next time, heroes!’ Then there’s a smiley face on it too. That cocky brat.”

Tsukauchi paled, “You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.”

Eraserhead handed him the card. Tsukauchi blinked at the card several times, his shoulders dropped and he ran a hand down his face, displacing a lustrous cloud. He turned on his earpiece to listen in on the broadcast.

_“-ast question of the night before we wrap up, Joker. How do you feel about the number of heroes that are calling for your arrest?”_

**_**“Oh, you couldn’t have better timing if you tried, T-san.”**_** There was another flicker of flames before his voice changed again, **_**“I just got a special notification on my phone, hee ho!”**_**

This voice was childlike, almost impish. It clashed so heavily with Joker’s natural tone that it was jarring.

 _“Eh? What’s this?”_ Something slid across a hard surface, _“I-is that….? Are those heroes covered in_ _glitter_ _!?”_

Tsukauchi flinched and looked around the room, where he spotted a camera high in the corner. Eraserhead followed his gaze and stiffened.

_“Indeed, hee ho! It was- hee my idea - ho!!”_

_“...Hee ho?”_

**_**“Wave to the camera, Tsukauchi! I see that Eraserhead, Midnight, and Nezu are with you. An entire squad of police officers, too. Ah, not that we can hear you if you wanted to say anything. I hope you like my present, I made it myself.”**_** Joker’s invisible grin hovered over everyone in the room, **_**“That’s what happens when they try to track me down.”**_**

_“Where exactly are they?”_

**_**“An office building close to the Kamino Ward, hee ho!”** _ **

_“Kamino!? But that’s so far away!”_

**_**“You can thank this little cutie for the idea, hee ho.”** _ **

_“You’re welcome, hee ho!”_

Tsukauchi and Eraserhead exchanged glances.

“I’m going to kill that brat when we arrest him.” Eraserhead growled.

Midnight joined in on Nezu’s laughter, scooping up entire hand fulls of glitter to shower them with.

“Clear out,” Tsukauchi said, deflated, “We’re not catching Joker tonight. We were never even close.”

Tsukauchi’s team grumbled as they vacated the room, their footsteps kicked up more clouds of glitter.

_“Well, that’s all the time we have for this interview! Are there any parting words you’d like to say, Joker?”_

**_**“Hee ho!”** _ **

_“Er, hee ho?”_

_“Hee ho!”_

_“Hee… ho? What does that even-”_

**_**“HEE HO!!”** _ **

The signal cut, and an eerie silence stretched.

Tsukauchi and Eraserhead stood there, covered head to toe in glitter, dumbfounded. Nezu still lay flat on his back with a crazy grin on his face, the plushy held securely in his arms. Midnight had piled an ungodly amount of glitter around him.

“I’m going to forget that this night ever happened.” Tsukauchi said.

“Good luck.” Aizawa slipped off his goggles, there was a perfect ring of untouched skin around his eyes, “I don’t think a dozen and a half showers will ever rid us of the glitter.”

“Or the second media fallout that’s bound to happen over this stunt.” Tsukauchi wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse in bed, “Let’s just gather up any evidence we can and get out of here.”

Nezu dropped the stuffed animal and jumped onto Aizawa’s shoulders, covering him with another layer of glitzy glamour. Aizawa sputtered and almost choked on the cursed stuff.

“Well, this was an interesting turn of events!” Nezu exclaimed, “I certainly had fun, hee ho!”

“Nezu.” Aizawa’s eyes went red and his hair floated amidst a sea of sparkles, “Not. Another. Word.”

“Oh come on, Eraser!” Midnight bumped shoulders with him, her other hand flicked glitter right in his face, “Learn to live a little, hee ho!”

“That’s it.”

He shrugged off Midnight, picked up Nezu like the grinning toddler he was and placed him on the shining table. Aizawa shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out, but not before he stopped at the door frame.

“I hate all of you.”

Nezu and Midnight’s roaring laughter followed him down the hallway.

This night would irritate him for _months_ , just like the flecks of glitter that trailed behind his every step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told y'all there would be a fish :D
> 
> ALSO we hit some crazy milestones!! 30K hits? 1300 kudos?? Almost 250 bookmarks??? I just....
> 
> I do not comprehend.


	25. Have A Short Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cerberus proves he is the best boy of the whole stock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hee Ho!!

Kaito’s head snapped up at the ring of a bell.

Akira, with his bag dangled over his shoulder, walked in, absolutely exhausted. There was no small amount of victory in his posture though, from the subtle smile to the way he held his head high. He carried himself with a certain swagger as he walked up to the front desk.

Kaito blinked owlishly at him several times. His electric blue eyes rippled like a disturbed desert oasis, his pupils gained a cloudy hue. It was there and gone so fast that Akira barely noticed it, no wonder he missed it the first time they met. The man froze for a moment as if he fought off shivers.

“ _You,_ ” Kaito sighed and rubbed his temples, “Are the most insane teenager I have ever met.”

Morgana popped his head out of Akira’s shoulder bag, grinning, “That’s an understatement!”

“And here I thought you were the sane one, Morgana.”

“Hey! I’m not as bad as Akira!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Akira said with a proud smirk, “Wouldn’t you be bored without me around?”

“Bored? You think I’d be _bored_?” Kaito gently, scarily, placed his hands on the desk and stood, “While I admit most days are dull in my line of work, I would take boredom over the mountain of anxiety you’ve caused in the past few days alone. I’m going to have grey hairs at this rate.”

“But your hair is already white.” Akira said, his voice tinted with amusement.

“Hush, you. That is not the point.” Kaito glanced at the computer, “The media is going insane with all the new information on you, the heroes and police are in a frenzy to contain everything, and failing miserably. I saw the dragon videos, Hosu, the newscasts, listened to your little interview over the radio. I was… frightened. Now even more so that I just experienced your battle with the _Hero Killer_. Kid, I don’t want you to end up dead in a ditch somewhere, or get arrested, or somehow get caught up in something _worse_.”

Akira tilted his head as Morgana’s eyes widened.

“So, you’re saying that you actually care about us?” Akira asked, “Now that’s rare.”

Kaito reached out and karate chopped Akira’s head. It didn’t hurt, not really with Seth active, but it was best not to give Kaito any impression to start using a sledgehammer to get through his thick skull.

“Ouch.” Akira deadpanned as he rubbed the spot.

“That’s for being a heroic idiot.” A hint of a fond smile appeared, “Now please tell me you’re going to lay low for a while? I don’t think society can handle another one of your foires, unless you want it to collapse like a house of cards.”

“That’s the plan.” Morgana climbed out of the bag and perched on Akira’s shoulders, “I think we’ve shaken up society enough for now.”

Kaito blinked slowly like a cat, then took off his glasses and scrubbed at his eyes.

“You say ‘for now’ as if you’re going to keep doing these crazy stunts.” Kaito sighed in defeat and replaced his glasses, “You’re not going to take any of my advice seriously, are you?”

“Nope.”

“In one ear and out the other with this sort of stuff,” Morgana said with a sigh, “I’ve tried plenty of times, trust me. There’s no stopping him once he has his mind set on something.”

“You act as if that’s a bad thing.”

Morgana scoffed, “No, but it does get us into trouble more often than not.”

“Fine, whatever.” Kaito motioned to the lounge door, “I made sure that your cubicle was untouched while you were gone, aside from the occasional dusting. Not that anybody has come in since you left with Aiba.”

“You’ve been alone for an entire week?” Morgana asked.

Kaito shrugged, “I’m used to it.”

“How about I make some curry for dinner tonight?” Akira said, “We could all eat together?”

“That… sounds nice.” Kaito’s eyes softened, and he sat back down, “It’s proper compensation for worrying me so much.”

Akira huffed, “Aiba said the exact same thing.”

“Then she has a good head on her shoulders,” Kaito waved his hand in the iconic ‘shoo’ motion, “Now, stop making me all sentimental and go get some sleep. You two look exhausted.”

Morgana beamed at Kaito, “At least we agree on something.”

Akira nodded, then walked through the doors. They were doused in the blessed silence of a small cafe, away from the fire and brimstone that had overtaken the media world. The lounge was the same as always, he stopped in the next hallway. Aiba’s cubicle was open for once, empty. Barren. She was in a much better place by Gentle’s side, but something was amiss without her. The Raven’s Nest would never be the same.

Akira buried the sharp pangs and opened his door, then froze. Inside, rolled up on the desk, was an extra blanket and pillow, Morgana hopped down to inspect them, sniffing curiously. 

“Wow, he must actually like us.” Morgana said, “They even smell fresh and clean!”

Akira chuckled as he set them out, then practically collapsed on the cushions, Morgana curled up on his chest. The duo fell asleep within seconds, but Akira’s personas had other things in mind. His psyche was alight with conversation as he drifted off.

Alice clasped her hands behind her back as she looked up at Arsene.

_“Well, it looks like you have competition.”_

_“Competition?”_ Arsene turned to her, his horned head tilted, _“Competition for what?”_

 _“What else?”_ A sinister grin lit up her eyes, _“For the title of Dad! You would be Bird Dad though, I’m not sure what Kaito could be yet.”_

 _“B-bird Dad!?”_ Arsene startled, _“But… I am not a bird?”_

Byakko chuckled, _“You did not object to being a father?”_

 _“Th-that’s beside the point!”_ Arsene said, his voice in a higher octave, _“Yatagarasu, please tell them I am not a bird…. or a dad…”_

Yatagarasu shuffled his feathers but kept silent. The traitor.

 _“Come now, Arsene,”_ Giant crimson eyes stared down from on high, _“If I am the grandfather of the group, then you are the father. Avian Father to be more precise!”_

Arsene facepalmed, _“Not you too, old boy.”_

 _“So, if Arsene is the father, then I have to be the cool aunt, right?”_ Titania said.

 _“Oh please, Titania,”_ Ishtar’s gentle expression turned sour, _“I would be the cool aunt.”_

Titania fluttered beside Alice and patted her head.

_“Alice, be a dear and tell Ishtar how wrong she is.”_

_“Hmmm, I don’t know.”_ Alice swayed her hips and blinked her large eyes, _“I think both of you are great big sisters.”_

Titania and Ishtar froze, briefly glared at one another, then looked away with scowls on their faces.

 _“Oooh, what about me!?”_ The bubbly one asked, _“What would I be?”_

_“You would be the cool aunt.”_

_“What!?”_ Titania and Ishtar shrieked in unison.

 _“Me next!!”_ Cerberus bowled past Titania to sit in front of Alice, tail wagging like an excited pup, _“What would me be!?”_

Alice smiled. She stood on her tippy toes to scratch that spot behind his ear.

_“Maybe the middle brother that everybody adores?”_

_“Oh, I think you mean the idiotic brother.”_ Byakko muttered, _“Alice would be the youngest sister, then.”_

 _“Yup! The most adorable little sister!”_ Alice grinned at him, _“You’d be the cousin that doesn’t know how to have fun.”_

 _“Blasphemy!”_ Byakko cried as he shook his great, furry head, _“I know how to have… fun.”_

Alice moved right along as she smiled at Black Frost, _“You would be the youngest brother, always doing pranks and causing mischief.”_

_“Hee ho!!”_

_“Yatagarasu would be the wise uncle,”_ Alice pointed to the Caped Warrior next, _“You would be the awesome big brother, but nobody outmatches the Trickster as the oldest though. He’s the firstborn that we all look up to!”_

She pointed to all of them and casually named off familial terms, she nodded in satisfaction when she was done.

 _“Wait a moment,”_ Yatagarasu cocked his head to the side, _“If Arsene is Bird Dad, then who’s the mother of the group?”_

Silence reigned over the mindscape. All eyes turned curiously to Arsene, who sighed like the weight of the world was upon his shoulders. His claws scraped down his metal mask as he turned his back on them. He didn’t like the way Titania smirked.

 _“We are not having this conversation.”_ His wings ruffled as he floated off, _“Nope.”_

 _“Wait, Arsene!”_ Titania called, _“Which one of us would you take as your wife!? I would obviously be the best choice! Oberon’s not here to object!”_

 _“I’m not listening.”_ Arsene departed for the darker depths of the Trickster’s psyche, _“If you_ _must_ _have an answer, then I choose to be the sole parental figure._ _”_

Chitters, chuckles, guffaws, and belly-aching laughter followed Arsene who, despite himself, smiled underneath that terrifying mask.

The sounds wilted any nightmarish seeds in Akira’s mind before they could sprout.

~*~*~*~

It was everything he could’ve hoped for.

Tensei sat across from him as they ate breakfast, he was discharged from the hospital two nights ago. There were no small amount of interviews, tests, and various debriefings before he could actually come home. It was as if everything were back to normal, as if Hosu had never happened! But… something _has_ changed. It stained the air. The table was quiet, save for the natural clatter of dishes.

Mother kept looking in between them. She was happy, smiling even, but there was something in her eyes that Tenya didn’t like. Thankfully, the lost conversation was filled in by the drone of the nearby television. He concentrated on the host’s voice as he poked at his rice.

 _“There’s been no shortage of comparisons between Joker’s dragon and you, Ryukyu.”_ The horned man said, _“What’s your opinion over this? I’m sure you have something to say in regards to the monsters that Joker controls, especially his dragon.”_

 _“I do, Yakana-san.”_ Ryukyu crossed her legs and leaned back into the plush couch, _“But there is one thing I would like to point out.”_

Yakana-san’s brow raised, _“Really? I’m sure the audience would love to hear it!”_

_“I’ve seen a few people point out that Seth isn’t a dragon at all. They say he’s more of a wyvern.”_

_“Eh? Is there a big difference?”_

_“Well, that’s the thing. Dragons are synonymous to many cultures spread across the entire globe. There are many interpretations of what can be a dragon. Take Quetzacoatl from Aztec mythology, Jormungandr from Norse Mythology, or something along the lines of Ouroboros, the dragon who’s eating its own tail.”_

_“What about them?”_

_“Like I said, there are many interpretations on what makes a dragon, those included. These are a few examples, but take my form for instance. It’s a western style dragon. Asia has dragons with long serpentine bodies as well as a mix of other animals, a good example would be the Yellow Dragon, Huanglong. Europe and Africa have their own interpretations, too.”_

_“So, what you’re saying is that Joker’s dragon isn’t a wyvern?”_

_“It’s quite possible. From what I’ve seen, Joker’s dragon doesn’t have a poisoned barb on its tail. That’s an indication of a wyvern.”_

_“But from the videos, it appears that Seth has an additional pair of wings on his neck and decorations around its tail, too. Does that make any difference?”_

_“Not really,”_ Ryukyu shook her head, _“They are small enough to be considered ornaments at best.”_

_“I see. You’ve provided quite a hefty debate, Ryukyu.”_

The hero chuckled, _“Trust me, I’ve had plenty of time and practice about this topic.”_

Yakana-san leaned forward, hands folded on his desk, _“But the bigger question is, which one of you would come out victorious if you had to battle?”_

Ryukyu hummed, a thoughtful frown creased her lips.

 _“It’s hard to say.”_ She narrowed her eyes, _“I think I would have the advantage in size, as well as a front pair of limbs to maneuver with. Seth is longer than I am, and most likely more agile.”_

_“You’re implying that you could lose?”_

_“There’s always that possibility, Yakana-san. We don’t know the full range of Seth’s capabilities, and there’s a high chance that Joker would be with him too. It seems Joker can switch between his monsters on the fly, so he can have any number of strategies up his sleeve. You should always be prepared for a battle to go south and have backup plans just in case.”_

_“What would you do if you ever encountered Joker?”_

Ryukyu looked directly at the camera, as if sending out a challenge to the vigilante himself.

 _“First, I would politely ask him to turn himself in. His powers can do so much good in this world, when used correctly. If he truly wants to help people then the best way for him is to go through a vigilante reform program, then become a licensed hero.”_ Ryukyu’s eyes sharpened like a blade, _“If not, then we would do it the hard way-”_

The television turned off. He and his mother glanced at Tensei, who set the remote down with a sigh.

“Nii-san?” Tenya furrowed his brows, “What’s wrong?”

Tensei looked between his brother and mother with a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I…” Tensei cleared his throat and pushed his dishes away, “There’s something that I wish to discuss.”

Tenya put his chopsticks down and gave his brother the utmost attention.

“Go on, dear.” Mother adjusted her glasses and then folded her hands on her lap, “I can tell when one of my boys has something important to say.”

Tensei chuckled, but his smile fell just as fast. He took a moment to collect himself, then took in a deep breath and stared them right in the eye.

“I don’t know if I’ll return to being a full-time hero.”

The words hung in the air, cut and dry.

“Tensei-”

Mother was interrupted when Tenya shot out of his chair, his arms chopped wildly.

“What are you saying, Nii-san!?” Tenya yelled, his eyes burned traitorously, “You… you have to return to being a hero! You’re _my_ hero! Are you abandoning our family legacy!?” 

Pain flashed in Tensei’s eyes, “Tenya…”

“Tenya, sit down.” Mother’s expression hardened, “Please. Let’s listen to Tensei before we start jumping to conclusions.”

Tenya’s cheeks burned, but he sank into his chair, his posture as rigid as a statue.

“I’m not saying I’m giving up completely.” Tensei stared down at his hands, “I still have an agency to run, and I refuse to leave all of my sidekicks high and dry.”

“Then..?” Mother goaded.

“The Hero Commission is publicly calling for Joker’s arrest after everything he did. I’m positive that they’ll wrangle in as many heroes as possible to scour Japan in search of him.” Tensei shook his head, “I can’t do that. Joker gave me my life back, healed Tenya, and saved him from the Hero Killer. I just…”

Mother reached over and squeezed his hand, “I understand.”

“You do?”

“I do.” Mother blinked as a gentle smile came over her, Tenya stiffened as her other hand came over his, “This family owes him a debt that can never be repaid. My wonderful sons are safe and sound, at home and enjoying breakfast as if Stain never happened. If it wasn’t for Joker…”

Her expression collapsed as she sniffled, the tears that rained down her cheeks startled the both of them.

“Hey, don’t cry.” Tensei squeezed her hand, “We’re right here, and we won’t go anywhere anytime soon.”

Mother nodded with a stifled sob. The warmth of her hands faded as she let go, she plucked up a napkin to dab at her eyes.

“But,” Tenya couldn’t meet his brother in the eye, “What about Ingenium?”

“What about him?” Tensei smiled as he reached over the table and ruffled Tenya’s hair, “I’m looking at him right now.”

“Wh-what!? But I… you’re…”

Tenya opened and closed his mouth several times as his arms went haywire, it was no small miracle that he didn’t start spewing nuts and bolts.

“Tenya,” Tensei pulled his arm back, “You’ve already inherited the name of Ingenium. You should get to keep it.”

“Then what about you?” 

“I’ll fall back into a support role. Stay at the agency and direct the sidekicks, be the navigator, take in emergency calls.” Tenya shrugged, “Do you want to intern with me next year? I can show you the ropes so that you can take over the Iida Agency after you graduate. If you want to, that is.”

Tenya shot up from his chair, his hand clutched his chest. A strange bubble of emotion was lodged in his throat, but he swallowed it down and tried not to sound pathetic.

“O-of course, Nii-san! I would be most honored!!”

Mother chuckled despite the tears.

“It’s Tenya’s last free day before he has to return to school tomorrow,” She said with a watery smile, “Why don’t you two spend the day together? Get out of the house and have some fun?”

Tensei grinned, and it finally reached his eyes.

“Well, Tenya? Why don’t we head to the mall? Or we could race in the park like we used to when you were little.”

“Yes! I don’t mind what we do as long as we can do it together!!”

Tensei chuckled, “You need to mellow out, little bro. Let’s finish breakfast and clean up before we head out.”

“Yes!!”

Tenya devoured his breakfast with new vigor, the darkness that had stained his soul was all but gone, replaced by a bright new hope. Tensei’s grin lit up the entire room, and he ate with no small amount of gusto as well.

Iida Akari looked between her sons and decided that she was the proudest mother on the planet.

~*~*~*~

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Akira asked as he packed their food.

Two bentos worth of freshly made curry, tuna sushi for Morgana, onigiri, among other tasty treats. Kaito, who had a plate of curry so large it could be considered the size of Mt. Olympus, shrugged.

“No, you two go and have fun.”

“Are you sure?” Morgana tilted his head as he sat on the front desk, “Actually, I don’t think we’ve ever seen you go outside. Or leave this cafe, or sleep…”

“I do go out.” Kaito stared down at his breakfast with a frown, “To get groceries, whenever necessary. And I actually don’t need to sleep.”

Morgana’s tail twitched. He was seconds away from having a conniption.

Akira furrowed his brows, “You…. you don’t _sleep_? Isn’t that unhealthy?”

“Part of my quirk, inherited from my mother’s side. I do experience dreams though, in a strange roundabout way.” Kaito scooped up the first mountainous chunk of curry, “The visions I get from peoples’ lives are dreamlike. Sort of. It’s hard to explain.”

He devoured the first bite, marking the end of the conversation. Morgana and Akira stared at each other, eyes wide.

“Alright then, we’ll be back later.” Morgana said as he climbed over Akira and dove into the bag, “Probably around lunch time.”

Kaito waved them off. Akira didn’t have the heart to tell him that he had curry sauce on his chin before they departed. Yatagarasu materialized over them, his shadow floated across the pavement as he settled into a graceful glide.

_“Let’s go, Trickster!”_

_“Somebody’s excited.”_

_“Of course! Considering where we’re going, how can I not be?”_

Akira snorted, _“You can go and get a head start. I know how much you love the ocean.”_

Yatagarasu’s string vibrated with joy, and he zoomed off over the rooftops.

Morgana didn’t question him as he sunk into the shoulder bag, the bentos poked into his side, but the delectable scent of tuna and curry kept him from being grouchy. It was quite early in the morning, the sun had yet to peek over the horizon, yet the sky began to lighten, as they made their way down the street. People blinked sleep out of their eyes as they meandered around like zombies.

Akira blended into the shuffling city life, until they were near a train station a couple of blocks away from Dagobah Municipal Beach. There were news crews scattered about, they hauled around cameras and a few starved reporters lunged at random people as if their lives depended on it.

“Excuse me, young man?”

Akira turned, and flinched back when a camera and microphone were shoved in his face. He didn’t recognize the man in the nice suit, but the microphone was labeled for Channel 7.

“Y-yes?”

Arsene and a few others chuckled at his meekness. He naturally curled into himself as he blinked his large doe eyes, a skill that Alice would be proud of. The Trickster was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, these other people didn’t know how close they came to being hunted.

“What’s your opinion over the vigilante named Joker!?” The man took a step closer, eyes alight with fervent hunger, “Do you think the heroes are failing us!? How do you think Joker’s live interview and battles in Hosu will change things!? Is Joker a True Hero or just a common criminal!?”

“Er…” Joker pulled on the mask of pure innocence, he adjusted his glasses and smiled sweetly, “Hee ho?”

It was like somebody doused water on the reporter’s fervor, he blinked at Akira several times. Somehow, Akira’s voice had carried to the crowd around the station, and then, _it_ began.

“Hee ho?” A woman called, “Hee ho!”

“Hee ho!!”

“Heee hooo!?”

“HEE HOO!!”

“Hee ho,” A girl with pink dreadlocks cheered, “Hee hooo!!!”

“HEEEE HOOOO!!!!!” Another man pumped his fists into the air.

Groups of children giggled and chanted ‘Hee ho!’.

“HEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAW!!!”

 _“Hee ho!!!”_ Black Frost howled proudly, even though nobody else could hear.

The cameras zoomed in on the chanting crowd, which slowly grew bigger in size. The chant traveled into the air like a song, the power of their Hee Ho exploded in size until the station square became overcrowded.

Akira bit his lip to hide his smirk, then turned tail and flowed through the mob like water.

He finally broke free of people and jogged a ways down the street. He didn’t stop until they were in the clear, Akira’s gut hurt from suppressing his laughter.

“Okay, _what_ the heck was that?” Morgana poked his nose out of the bag.

“That is how you create a meme.”

“A meme?” Morgana blinked, “You mean like those joke pictures Futaba and Ryuji would cackle at?”

“Oh Morgana, you have no idea.” Akira chuckled as he stuck his hands in his pockets, “It’s going to go around like wildfire.”

Akira’s phone vibrated, and he nearly broke into another fit of laughter.

“Case in point.”

Morgana looked over Akira’s shoulders to the phone. He just received a text from Aiba, a ‘Hee Ho!!’ surrounded by sparkling emojis. The not-cat shook his head.

“I honestly don’t get it, but whatever makes people happy.”

“You’re missing out.”

Morgana rolled his eyes, “What we’re missing out on is breakfast on the beach. Are we almost there yet? We’re going to miss the sunrise!”

“Yeah.” Akira pocketed his phone with a sigh, “Yatagarasu is already there.”

The hypnotic tone of ocean waves intermixed with seagulls’ cries. They stood on the edge of the seawall, the salty breeze ruffled his hair and the pristine sands sparkled under the rising sun. The waters were clear and tinted with purples and golds. Akira breathed in the crisp air and smiled, then descended the stone stairs onto the sand.

Yatagarasu drifted on the sea breeze, their bond hummed with a pleasant warmth.

_“Ah… Amaterasu. Origin of all that is good and mother to us all….”_

Akira blinked up at the persona, _“Are you alright up there?”_

 _“Hmm?”_ Yatagarasu stared down at them, _“Ah, er… yes. I am fine. Just revisiting memories, Trickster. Please pay me no heed.”_

Akira nodded, then chose a spot to sit. For such a beautiful beach, it was practically abandoned. They were alone as far as they could tell. Akira didn’t ponder on it as he set the bag down, Morgana emerged so he could set out the towel and their breakfast. Morgana bounced on his paws and licked his chops.

“Tuna!!”

Akira smirked, “I haven’t even opened it yet.”

“I haven’t had any tuna in weeks! Can you really blame me?”

Akira plopped down on the towel and opened the first bento, Morgana stared right into his soul until he set down the small plate of tuna. They spent a majority of yesterday resting, talking with Kaito, making an obscenely large batch of curry, which the man watched over them with peerless eyes. It was as if Kaito was scared they’d run off and cause more chaos if he wasn’t keeping an eye on them. Which, to be honest, was wholeheartedly true. Akira stirred his curry with a faint smile.

He used chicken this time, and a variety of other spices.

It wasn’t half bad.

Today would be their last day to relax before Akira returned to the Blue Lotus Cafe while Yatagarasu would continue reconnaissance on U.A. They would lay low, but keep their ears to the ground in case another potential target surfaced. If not, then Akira would do his first official patrol as Joker within a week or two.

They inhaled their food as they watched the breathtaking sunrise together, with Yatagarasu’s shadow to watch over them.

“You know,” Morgana just finished cleaning his plate, “This place is beautiful.”

“It really is.”

Morgana looked up at him, “It makes me wonder what other worlds there could be.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! If this one has powers and superheroes, then there could be other worlds run with magic. Maybe one with technology so advanced that we can’t even comprehend it. Oh, there could be landscapes like floating mountains and magical springs, or entire underwater cities too!”

Akira raised his brow, “When did you become philosophical?”

“Last night,” Morgana said with a smirk, “I just got to thinking about the others, then what kind of worlds they could be in. I…. guess my imagination just ran wild?”

He chewed on the last of his rice thoughtfully, then hummed.

“I mean, our world had an entire dimension on mind palaces and human consciousness. It’s not hard to imagine what else could be out there.”

“Huh, I wonder how people like that detective and Eraserhead would react to say… Kamoshida’s palace?”

Akira nearly choked on his rice, “I’m sure they would have certain _choice_ words.”

“Yeah…”

Morgana’s ears drooped. He blinked a few times and then stared out into the ocean. Akira didn’t have to ask what he was thinking about, he missed the others just as much as Akira did. He put his bento down, then gently pet Morgana.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, bathed in the sunrise’s pure light.

Suddenly, a low whine echoed within his mind.

_“What’s wrong, Cerberus?”_

_“Can me play with Master? Me don’t like it when Master is sad…”_

_“But Yatagarasu-”_

_“Heh, let the pup come out and play.”_ Yatagarasu said, _“I have had my fill of nostalgia for one day. Thank you, Trickster, your kindness means the world to me.”_

_“Don’t mention it. Is there anybody nearby?”_

Yatagarasu scanned the beach one last time, _“Not another soul wanders this beach.”_

Akira nodded, then stood, “Can you keep an eye out?”

“Sure?” Morgana cocked his head to the side, “Why? What are you gonna do?”

“Cerberus wants to come out. Who am I to say no?”

Morgana stretched. He splayed out on the towel and slowly blinked, his fur dyed with streaks of gold.

“Alright. I’ll just blow wind in your face or something in case anybody comes by.”

Akira chuckled. He left his shoes by Morgana and stepped out onto the warming sands. Yatagarasu returned to the mind space and Cerberus lunged at this chance, materializing in a gentle _woosh_ of blue flames.

Cerberus’ silvery fur gained a golden hue to it, he shook his mane and pawed at the sand under his feet. Their shadows stretched all the way to the sea wall.

“Huh,” Joker pulled at his blood-red gloves and looked down at his costume, “I suppose this would be a good chance to practice with our bond.”

“Ooh! Good point!” Cerberus wagged his tail and sat in front of him, “My bond should be easy! Master can control it in no time!”

Easy, huh? Joker closed his eyes as Morgana watched from the sidelines. The sea breeze gained a little strength, anybody else would just say it was a natural change like the tide, but Joker and his personas tasted the magic underneath. They knew better. Joker brushed the thoughts aside and concentrated.

His eyes flew open and he gaped at Cerberus, “Our bond is a literal _tornado of fire_?”

“Right!?” Cerberus happily chimed, “Better than some lame ice ribbon!”

Byakko grumbled somewhere within the mind space, Alice pet him to keep him calm.

Joker sighed before he closed his eyes once more. How does one tame a cyclone of pure hellfire without getting burned? He breathed in, then out, and allowed the sound of ocean waves to help him concentrate. It wasn’t a matter of grabbing it like a chain or a string, the flames crackled as he reached out. Fire flowed around his fingers and washed over him with its searing heat.

But the flames… didn’t burn?

They parted beneath his hand. Joker’s brows creased, and he imagined himself stepping inside the twister. Sparks hissed and flames roared in his ears as he stood within, the vibrant orange light surrounded him and rose high into the formless heavens. There were hints of other colors too, an occasional red or yellow, a spark of azure here and there.

In awe, he gaped up at within the eye of the storm.

His eyes flew open when there was a crisp _snap_. He caught the final embers as his costume vanished, whisked away by the gentle breeze.

“Ha!” Cerberus pranced around in a circle, spraying sand everywhere, “I told you my bond would be easy!!”

Akira grinned, but his concentration wavered. His costume flickered over his body like the dying sputter of embers in a campfire, then it was gone again. Cerberus froze.

“Well, maybe.”

“We keep practicing while we play! No better training, right?”

“Right, I think?” Akira scanned the beach, “So, I didn’t exactly bring a ball to throw or anything?”

Cerberus kneaded at the sand as he looked around. He immediately brightened when he spotted a pile of driftwood down the way, his lips pulled back into a fanged grin and he marched over to it. One would think Cerberus would pick the size best suited for Akira to throw. Akira could throw a small one, maybe chuck a medium sized one a decent distance.

Oh no, Cerberus snatched up the biggest log of the bunch.

Akira sputtered as the beast dragged it back, the log gouged a deep trench within the sand. He tried not to picture Cerberus as the proud chihuahua that found the biggest stick in the park, legs wobbling as it barely had the strength to haul its prize home, but he couldn’t help it. A grin slid onto his face and he hid his laugh with a muffled cough.

Cerberus dropped the log in front of Akira, the thing was longer than Akira was tall, and twice the width of his body. The Hound of Hell sat proudly, his tail weaved over the sand in anticipation.

“Wow.”

“What’s wrong? I can probably find a bigger stick if it's too small!!”

“N-no, that’s alright.” Akira snapped off one of the branches, “I’ll make do with this one.”

“Oh.”

Akira grinned as he waved it in front of Cerberus. The persona really was a puppy, with how he playfully bowed, his eyes honed on the stick as if it were the greatest treasure in the world. Akira grunted as the stick was thrown.

Cerberus shot off like a bullet train, he kicked sand right up in Akira’s face as he pounded down the beach. Akira was thankful he put his hand up in time to not swallow sand, but another problem arose as Cerberus snatched up the stick a good ways away, then turned and sprinted back. Just then, Akira learned the error of his ways.

How does somebody stop a several thousand pound beast barreling straight for them? The rush of panic Akira felt summoned his costume.

Joker frantically waved his arms, “Cerberus, stop-!”

It was too late. Cerberus tried to stop, he really did, but it was with the grace of a drunken bull going ice skating. Joker’s cry was silenced as he was buried by the heaping pile of displaced sand, he popped his head out, gagging against the grittiness that invaded his mouth and throat.

Morgana howled with laughter in the background.

“Sorry!!”

Cerberus’ massive paws excavated him out of the pile in seconds, and Joker shook the sand out of his hair.

“Its-” Joker hacked up more sand, “It’s alright.”

Cerberus’ ears sagged and a low whine escaped him, the stick dropped from his jaws. Joker took a moment to focus, to tame that wild twister that tied them together. His costume dissipated, and he stepped next to Cerberus.

“I said it’s fine,” He smirked and scratched Cerberus behind both ears, “Who cares if I get a little sandy? We’re at a beach, it’s to be expected.”

Amusement flashed in Cerberus’ eyes as his massive head rubbed against Akira’s chest, sending him back down into the sand pile. The persona sprawled out on top of him like a lap dog.

“Oof, you’re going to kill me with how heavy you are.”

“What are you talking about? Master cannot be killed!!”

“Are you sure about that?” Akira splayed out his arms and closed his eyes, “This is me. Dying. Goodbye world.”

Cerberus snorted, the hot breath washed over Akira’s face. A few moments of silence pass.

“Master?”

Akira barely stopped himself from grinning.

Cerberus’ weight lifted off of him, his wet nose sniffed at his face and ruffled his hair.

“Boo.”

“Agh!”

Cerberus jumped up on his hind legs, lost his balance, and fell onto his back. Akira laughed as the ground shook under the massive weight, Cerberus’ legs were splayed up in the air, his feet twitched oddly. Akira snickered as he rubbed Cerberus’ belly.

“You tricked me good.”

“Well,” Akira’s smirk grew, “I _am_ the Trickster, aren’t I?”

Cerberus blinked, then he started to laugh. It was too contagious to not join in, and they spent a moment in peace, laughing together. Akira clutched his stomach and wiped his eyes, although he was still covered head to toe in sand.

The moment was broken by a blast of wind in his face.

Cerberus frowned, but he dissolved into cold ashes. Akira took a moment to gather himself, tried to shake any remaining sand from his hair, then stood. He just saw the tip of Morgana’s tail as he dove into the bag. He raised a brow as he studied the beach.

A familiar figure paused at the seawall stairs, looking out into the ocean with determination. Green eyes scanned the sandy expanse until they landed on him. Akira hesitantly waved.

“Kurusu-kun!” Midoriya went down the stairs and approached with a sunny smile, “I didn’t know you liked coming… here…?”

The boy trailed off as he froze in place. He took in Akira’s disheveled, sandy appearance, then glossed over the blatant destruction behind him. This stretch of sand looked more like a war zone. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Akira blinked as he looked down on himself, “I, uh… fell.”

Vague emotions passed through the boy’s eyes. There was a moment of stilted silence as Midoriya looked over their surroundings, he bore the same expression as when Futaba scanned over the Metaverse for Shadows.

Akira cleared his throat, “I’m fine, really.”

“If…. if you say so.”

Midoriya was smiling at him, but there was something so sad, so _understanding_ , about it. He stared at Akira as if he were a kicked puppy.

“So,” Akira pushed up his gritty glasses, “What are you doing here this early in the morning?”

“O-Oh! I usually come here in the mornings to train, but the ocean waves help me clear my thoughts, too.”

“Is something bothering you?”

Midoriya bit his lip as he looked out into the ocean, Akira hesitantly grabbed his shoulder. The boy stiffened and blinked at him curiously.

“This should be a two way street, Midoriya.” He said, “If I can talk to you about my quirkelssness, then you can tell me about your problems too. If you want to, that is. I won’t force you.”

“I…” Midoriya dug his shoe into the sand, “I want to ask somebody something, but its really personal and I don’t know how to even start.”

“Do you trust this person?”

“With my life!” Midoriya’s eyes brightened, “I… I really look up to him!”

Akira smiled gently, the rich light painted him like an angelic halo.

“Then you should be up front and honest with him. If he has mutual respect and trust for you, then he’ll answer sincerely. Maybe invite him for tea or find a comfortable place to talk, then you can ask your question.”

Midoriya rolled Akira’s words around for a moment, accompanied by the whispering waves. Confidence radiated off of him as he stood a little bit straighter, a fire lit in his emerald eyes.

“I will! Thanks for the advice!”

“Think nothing of it.” Akira rolled his shoulders and glanced around the destroyed beach, “I suppose I shouldn’t get in the way of your training, then.”

“It’s okay!” Midoriya waved his hands, “You don’t have to leave just because of me, there’s plenty of space on the beach!”

Akira walked towards his towel, Midoriya followed.

“You’re right. I planned to stay for a while, but I think I’ll just go home and clean up. It’s not fun having sand in certain places.” He knelt down to roll up the towel and grab his bag, “Oh, I guess I can give you something.”

“Give me something..?” Midoriya raised his brow.

He retrieved the second bento, nicely wrapped up in a colorfully striped cloth, and held it out to Midoriya.

“I was going to have it for lunch, but I think you should have it instead. Training takes a lot of energy out of you, after all.” He said with a soft smile, “There’s some sushi and omelets in there, as well as some curry that I made myself.”

“I-I can’t take that! You worked so hard on it!”

Akira grinned, “Don’t worry about it. Actually, we started making curry at the Blue Lotus Cafe, and I wouldn’t mind having another opinion on a new recipe. You’ll have to be honest with how it tastes though, so no sugar coating it!”

Midoriya sputtered as he accepted it with both hands. His eyes held stars and he stared down at the wrapped bento as if he were afraid to break it.

“I’ll be working tomorrow, so you have plenty of time to give it a review.”

“Y-yes!”

Akira was about to leave, but a burning question made him hesitate. Midoriya noticed as he shuffled his weight, then glanced at him from head to toe.

“I do have to ask,” Akira said softly, “I got your message, the one with your location? I noticed it was in Hosu that night of the attack.”

Midoriya jolted, “Uh, I-it was nothing, really! I-I was in Hosu doing my internship, but I just helped civilians evacuate! Nothing major!”

“...Then the message?”

“It was a typo.” Midoriya was content to stare at the bento in his hands, “I meant to send it to the hero I was interning with and my finger slipped.”

“Alright, I believe you.”

The boy’s gaze snapped up to him, “Y-you do?”

“Just tell me you weren’t injured, right? I saw the news, and it looked really scary out there. Are you sure you’re alright?”

”Y-yeah! I’m fine, I didn’t have a scratch on me!”

Akira knew he was lying. He didn’t know what came over him at that moment. Instead of calling Midoriya out on it, Akira reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair. It was the same motion he did for Futaba countless times, some innate instinct, he supposed.

“I’m glad,” He said honestly, “The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.”

At that, Midoriya stiffened. Akira’s hand was soft and affectionate like that of an older brother. It was… nice, different from the way his mother had done it. Midoriya didn’t reject the sincere warmth that wrapped around his heart like a blanket, emotions bubbled in his throat and his eyes felt the burn of tears.

“Er…” Akira pulled his hand away and rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry?”

“I-it’s nothing!” Midoriya scrubbed at his eyes and chuckled wetly, “You didn’t upset me, I’m just known for being a crybaby.”

At that, Akira chuckled, “Well then, I’ll see you around?”

Midoriya wiped away the remainder of tears and hugged the bento to his chest, his smile brighter than the sunrise at their backs.

“Yeah!”

Akira waved, then left him in peace. The sounds of the ocean and the salty breeze faded into the distance. Morgana carefully poked his head out when he deemed it safe.

“That was a close one. We’re lucky he didn’t see me or Cerberus.”

“Yeah, too close.”

 _“It was nice to see the green child!”_ Cerberus said, _“I’m proud of him!”_

 _“The boy has made progress since the Sports Festival,”_ Arsene hummed, _“Especially in how he fought Stain.”_

 _“Right!?”_ Cerberus beamed, _“Hey Master, for my reward can I speak to the green child? I want to tell him how proud I am of him!!”_

 _“That’s dangerous,”_ Akira stopped mid-stride, frowning, _“Too dangerous for us to do any time soon.”_

_“Oh…”_

_“But if the opportunity arises, then I don’t see why not. We’ll just play it by ear, okay?”_

_“Okay!!”_

Cerberus wasn’t the only persona who buzzed with happiness the whole way home.


	26. Life Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dread roiled in Tsukauchi’s heart, “I don’t think the Hero Commission will take this laying down anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, here we go.

Tranquility.

That would be the word used to describe the Trickster’s psyche. It still didn’t have a definitive shape, but it was no longer the endless black void it had been when they first arrived. There was light now, similar to the glow of twilight just before sunrise. It was enough to where one could see the others in their full form, if faintly. It was quiet and serene, like a forest blanketed in fog.

Arsene folded his wings as he took stock.

The Old Boy floated high above with Yatagarasu perched upon his head, they conversed in soft whispers, enough to where nobody else could hear them. 

The Bubbly One hovered over Alice and Black Frost as they played pattycake, giggling. Cerberus curled his huge body around them, tail tapping in tune to their song.

Seth slept soundly a ways away, his head tucked under his wing like a swan.

Byakko, with nothing else to do, circled the edge of the mindscape and passed the few solitary personas that had minded their own business thus far. There was one other, floating at the farthest edges of Akira’s psyche. He had yet to speak or act, or really move from his place, and was aloof to everybody else’s presence. The Master Of Strings even resisted Alice’s attempt at conversation, and she was in a sour mood for the rest of that day.

Truly, it was as if this persona didn’t belong here.

Arsene shrugged off the thought. That just left Titania, who was easy to find through following Ishtar’s scathing glare.

“What are you doing?” Arsene asked as he looked over his shoulder.

“Aww,” Titania pouted as she hovered at his side, “And here I was hoping to catch you off guard.”

Arsene would roll his eyes if he could, “You should know that I am not easy to get caught unawares.”

“Quite.” She chuckled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, “You looked deep in thought. So? What were you thinking about, Arsene?”

He stared down at his clawed hands. Something was changing. The shift came alongside the blooming light within the mindscape, energy not of his own. And yet, here he was, every cell in his body was supercharged with this foreign vigor. This happened every time the Trickster did something fantastic in this new world, it was minimal at first, but strength flowed through their veins in ever-increasing amounts.

The interview with Taneo had been different from the rest, it opened a flood gate.

Ever since he had spoken on the live radio, this raw vitality rushed into him with the power of crashing ocean waves. It was exhilarating. Intoxicating, even. As if he could obliterate anything in their path with a sweep of his wings. 

“I…” Arsene flexed his hands, “Our powers grow the longer we are trapped in this world. I’m starting to remember a past life, a little inkling here, a flash of some memory there. Before I awakened again and became the Trickster’s First persona. It’s all becoming so clear.”

“It’s the same with me.”

Arsene tilted his head towards her as she folded her hands behind her back, her feet playfully kicked at the floor.

“We are no longer mere shadows under the control of the Metaverse. We are growing into something more, being cut off from the influence of the Sea Of Human Souls.” She bit her lip as she narrowed her eyes in thought, “I wonder if it has to do with the human unconscious in this world?”

“What?”

“Think on it, Arsene.” She shook her head and smiled at him, her eyes alight like sunlit dew, “We grow stronger every time we’re put in the spotlight. For example, Seth has grown more powerful since those videos in Hosu, or how that radio interview allowed the humans to listen to a few of our voices, thus we’ve grown in strength. I feel more powerful than I have ever been. That popular dragon hero mentioned both Seth and the Old Boy as well. I’ve never seen his scales so golden before. It’s not hard to see it in any others, too.”

“What you’re saying is, the more we’re acclimated and accepted into this world and its collective unconscious, the stronger we get.”

“Correct. You’re the strongest amongst us all, Arsene. Being the First, and perhaps the Last, to manifest for the Trickster.” 

Arsene grimaced but didn’t say anything more. Titania sighed wistfully as she inched closer, her morning dew scent washed over him in a heady current. She was so close that their faces were less than a foot apart, and she whispered thus.

“But we all know that with new strengths, come new weaknesses.” Her eyes trailed over the other personas, “And I’m afraid to find out just what those weaknesses entail.”

She floated away from him then and there, left alone with that single thought.

A new determination welled up within him as he watched Titania join Alice and Black Frost in their game, patting Cerberus along the way. She was right. They all looked up to Arsene, the Trickster even more so, as the leaders of the group. They were far more than just fractured pieces of a bigger puzzle, now. They were family.

He forged a silent vow.

Arsene would take this duty to protect them to heart, his wings would shield them from any new weaknesses even if it was the last thing he did.

~*~*~*~

It was a quiet morning.

Different to the raging boil that had taken over the country, simmered down into the peaceful light of dawn. It would bubble back up as the day wore on, but for now Akira basked in the simplicity of an awakening city. These streets were engraved into his mind now, just like the network of alleyways and hidden niches strewn throughout Musutafu, drawn by the perfect bird’s eye view.

His ever faithful eyes in the sky already departed for U.A., and the Blue Lotus Cafe was less than a block away.

Akira hovered at the end of the street, staring at the cafe. There was a small crowd huddled outside, a few were seated under the awning. Haru-san was among them, and she swiveled her head to smile at him as he approached.

“Morning, Kurusu-kun!”

“Good morning, Haru-san.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, “Why are there so many people out here? The cafe isn’t open yet.”

“Why else?” The old woman smirked, “It seems the curry became quite popular. In the past few days it’s been sold out before the lunch hour hits, so folks try to come earlier. First come, first serve, and all that.”

“Oh.”

“I’m glad to see you’re back kiddo, I’m sure Risumi and Hitoshi will be happy.”

“Thanks.” Akira chuckled and stepped around her, “I’ll make sure to save you a plate.”

Haru-san smiled and winked at him. He went up to the front door and was about to open it.

“Hey! No cutting in line, kid!”

Akira jumped and looked over his shoulder, everybody who was waiting had their eyes on him. A woman was glaring at him with her hands on her hips, red hair spilled past her shoulders and down her back. The sudden attention pinned him to the spot.

“Easy, now.” Akira recognized Akane as he put a hand to the woman’s shoulder, “The kid works here. Risumi told me that he’s the one responsible for making the Leblanc Special.”

There were a few murmurs, and the woman’s expression melted into a sheepish grin.

“S-sorry.”

Akira waved his hand, “Don’t worry about it.”

He went inside before anyone else could say anything, breathing a sigh of relief when the little bell rang overhead. Something unknowable unfurled within his heart. Seeing the familiar cafe booths and the aroma of sweets, spices, and coffee made him relax, the crowd outside faded into oblivion. Risumi popped her head out of the kitchen door.

“Kurusu-kun!” Her face lit up as she stepped out, “Welcome back! How did everything with your friend go?”

“There were a few bumps in the plan, which is why it took me a few more days to get back. She got moved in though, and is a lot happier there.”

“That’s good.” She turned and motioned for him to follow, “I take it you’ve seen the group outside?”

Akira chuckled, “They’re hard to miss.”

“They’re an excited lot, I hope they didn’t give you too much trouble. Are you ready to get back to work?”

“Yes, Shinsou-san.” He smirked, “Can’t let my curry skills get rusty, can we?”

She matched his sly smile, “No, we can’t.”

They walked into the kitchen. Ayumu glanced over his shoulder, glowered, and returned to making baked goods. The scrape of a whisk on the bowl interrupted the quiet as she stopped in front of the other stove, where the curry bubbled.

“So, we followed your recipe to the letter and people still seem to enjoy it, but…”

“But?” Akira snatched up the ladle and stirred, “It looks alright to me.”

“Maybe.” She adjusted her glasses with a small frown, “It just doesn’t have that same _oomph_ from when you made it. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it seems that you have a special touch to make it… complete? Better? There was an online review that even said it was restorative, whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Risumi chuckled, “Maybe we can make another couple of batches too, at least to last into the afternoon.”

Akira nodded and went to grab an additional pot. The other door opened, and Akira looked up to see a groggy Hitoshi walk in, rubbing his eyes.

“Oh, Hitoshi!” Risumi said, “Kurusu-kun is back!”

Hitoshi stopped dead in his tracks. The color drained from his face and he stared at Akira with wide eyes, as if he was truly seeing him for the first time. That thunderstruck expression stayed on his face, he didn’t budge when Akira waved at him. It was unnerving.

“Hey,” Akira said, attempting a half smile despite his confusion, “Do you want me to make you a cup of coffee before school?”

Hitoshi remained silent, gawking at Akira, as still as if he were carved from marble. His lilac eyes flicked in between his parents, then landed back on Akira with such intensity. Akira held back a shiver, the stifling atmosphere drew a few of his personas’ attention. Hitoshi’s heart pounded out of his chest as the pool of gold in Akira’s eyes grew larger, the breath caught in his throat and he couldn’t get any air. There was an odd sort of reverence in Hitoshi’s eyes. The silence stretched on for several moments, Akira felt as if he were being put under a microscope.

Akira’s smile finally fell. 

Risumi and Ayumu stared at each other with furrowed brows. Risumi reached out to grab Hitoshi’s shoulder. The movement snapped him out of it, gasping as if he breached water, he backpedaled several steps until he backed into one of the counters.

“I-I’m going to be late for school!”

He rushed past them in a purple flash, the kitchen doors swung back and forth ominously.

“Hitoshi!” Risumi peeked out the door, “School doesn’t start for another hour!”

The boy was already gone.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Ayumu opened his mouth, Risumi gave him a look that snapped the man’s jaw shut.

“No, dear.” Risumi said with a sigh, “Hitoshi’s been acting strange lately. I don’t know what’s been bothering him, but he won’t talk to us about it.”

“I swear if those bullies have gotten to him again…” Ayumu growled.

Akira’s heart swelled with anger, “Bullies?”

“Hitoshi’s quirk isn’t really accepted by his peers,” Risumi clasped her hands together, suddenly looking a lot older, “He’s had problems with bullies since it manifested. People are not kind to those with our type of mental quirks.”

Akira glared at the pots on the stove. He thought he made it clear to Wolf and his cohorts that their actions wouldn’t be tolerated. If they did something to Hitoshi while he was away…

_“Can you keep an eye on Hitoshi during school today? I’m worried about him, but don’t let him know you’re there.”_

_“Understood, I shall be like the whispering wind.”_ Yatagarasu, who was perched on U.A.’s rooftop, riled his feathers, _“I fear the fate of any who truly angers the Trickster.”_

 _“We’ll get to the bottom of this,”_ Arsene said, the whisper of his wings cooled Akira’s anger, _“But we’ll need to be patient with him.”_

Risumi shook her head, then glanced over at Akira with an exhausted smile.

“I’ll try to get him to talk about it,” She said, “Let’s just focus on our work until then, we’re opening soon after all.”

“...Right.”

Akira rolled up his sleeves, he had curry to make.

~*~*~*~

“Hee Ho!”

“Heee hoo!!”

“HEE HOO!!”

Mina felt a swell of pride as more people shouted up and down the street.

“Oh! That reminds me, you guys!” She said as she bumped shoulders with Kaminari, “I have something to tell you!!”

“We’re right here,” Sero said, “You don’t have to shout.”

“And where’s the fun in that!?” Mina pumped her fists, “Anyway! Did you guys see the interview on Japan Nightly yesterday?”

“Yeah!” Kaminari looked up from his phone, “Where they interviewed the lady who uploaded the Hosu dragon video?”

Mina nodded with a grin, “That’s the one!”

“What about it?” Kirishima asked with a raised brow.

“Well, you know how she described Joker’s mask and costume?”

“Yeah!” Kaminari searched the video, “There’s already a whole bunch of fan art about Joker’s costume, and his monsters-”

“Hey! I’m the one telling the story!” Mina’s hand flew to Kaminari’s mouth, “As I was saying, we all know what Joker’s mask looks like, right? So after class I went to ask Yaomomo to help me with math and I saw Todoroki _drawing_ Joker’s mask in the corner of his notebook! I think Todoroki’s a fan!”

“ _Todoroki_?” Kirishima’s jaw dropped, “Are you sure?”

“I don’t see him as the fanboy type.” Sero said with a shrug, “Isn’t that more Midoriya’s thing?”

“Are you calling me a liar!?”

“Well…” Sero stiffened, “Wait a sec! He interned with Endeavor, right? Do you think he actually _saw_ Joker in Hosu!? Did he actually witness their battle!?”

Mina gasped, “Oh my god, you’re right! He’s holding out on us!!”

“Dudes, do you think we can ask him about Joker-”

“Would you extras shut the hell up already!?” Bakugo stomped ahead of them, “It’s bad enough that my old man and the hag are obsessed with him, I don’t need to keep hearing it from you losers!”

“Why do your parents like him?” Sero said with a wave of his hand, “My dad said vigilantes should all be in prison.”

Bakugo rolled his eyes, “They’re fashion designers. They think his costume is stylish or some stupid bullshit.”

“Awww, is somebody jealous of Joker’s badassery?” Mina teased.

“Who says I’m jealous!? I’m not jealous.” A vein popped on Bakugo’s forehead, “I can take that lame vigilante down any day of the week!”

“Sure, bro.” Sero snickered, “Whatever you say.”

“Screw this, I’m going home.”

“No!” Mina wailed as she grabbed Bakugo’s arm, “We’re almost there! Will you come with us if we stop talking about him? You absolutely _have_ to try this place’s food! And the _coffee-_ ”

“ALRIGHT!” Bakugo shoved Mina back, “Fine! Just stop talking.”

“Great!” Mina laughed and plodded on ahead, “It’s just down the street! The barista isn’t half bad to look at too, if you don’t mind me saying!”

The boys looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

“I’ve been craving brownies since we went there last,” Kirishima said with a sigh, “I think I’ll grab a few extra to share with my mom.”

Mina flung open the cafe door and whisked them inside. The aroma of heavenly spices and sugar accompanied the clatter of dishes, idle chatter made for a pleasant ambience. It was like huddling down in a fuzzy blanket. It wrapped around their hearts and any tension from the day simply melted away. Sero and Kaminari ogled at their surroundings, Bakugo’s eyes narrowed as he took in the place. 

“Mina, was this place as busy last time?” Kirishima asked.

“I don’t think so?” Her golden eyes scanned over their options, “Oh, there’s still an open booth! You guys go ahead, I’ll get everyone’s orders!”

“You just want to talk to Kurusu-kun, don’t you?”

“Hush, Kirishima!”

Mina skipped to the front counter as the boys filed in the booth, Bakugo shoved Kaminari aside so he could take the seat, he spread his arms over the back of the booth and crossed his legs. Sero, Kirishima, and Kaminari squished themselves into the opposite side.

Kurusu blinked at her with those startling silver and gold eyes, the smile brightened the whole cafe. It made her heart flutter.

“Hey, Kurusu-kun!” Mina leaned over the counter and grinned, “How’s it hanging?”

“Ashido-san,” He pushed up his glasses, his eyes crinkled as his smile grew, “It’s been good. What can I get you and your friends?”

“You can just call me Mina! As for the order-” Her eyes were drawn to a chalkboard sign, “Ooh, what’s this?”

“A new item, the Leblanc Special.” A tiny smirk bloomed, “It’s actually one of my homemade recipes, with a new type of coffee. As you can see, it’s a top seller.”

Mina looked out across the cafe, where a majority of people had a plate of glistening curry. Blissful scents of sugar and spice intermingled, and she watched as a few customers savored the curry as if it would be their last meal. Desserts of a scone or a cinnamon roll dotted a few of the tables. Nobody would argue over the power of a freshly made donut, either. No wonder her mouth was watering. The other patrons' eyes seemed to light up as they dined, and she turned to look back at him with a grin.

“I’ll take five orders of that, please!”

Kurusu chuckled, “Coming right up.”

She playfully winked at him, then went to sit with the boys. Bakugo growled at her as she plopped down next to him, her extra weight bounced the seat. Kirishima looked up and down at her, frowning.

“What about my brownies?”

“I ordered something new! We can get brownies afterward.”

Sero nudged Kirishima, “You really like these brownies, huh?”

“Yeah, bro! They’re amazing, and paired with Kurusu’s coffee-” He clapped his hands in prayer and squeezed his eyes shut, “It’s too good for words!”

Bakugo rolled his eyes, “I doubt the coffee is that great.”

“No, it’s not just great, it’s like it was made by an angel.” Mina placed her hand over her heart and leaned back in the booth, “Liquid heaven. His hot chocolate isn’t bad either, from what Ochako said!”

“Oh please,” Bakugo scoffed, “Anybody can make it that good if it’s their quirk.”

“ _Is_ that his quirk?” Kaminari glanced back towards the counter, “If so, then no wonder this place is filled out."

Mina looked at Kirishima, who stiffened.

“Well, here’s the thing,” Mina leaned over the table and whispered, “Kurusu-kun is quirkless.”

“No way!” Sero said.

Kaminari scrunched his brow, but didn’t say anything.

“Who the hell would hire someone so useless?”

The words tumbled out of Bakugo’s mouth before he could stop it. Mina was about to slap Bakugo’s shoulder and scold him, but every hair on the back of her neck stood straight up, goosebumps broke out across their bodies as a thick miasma smothered the cafe. Bakugo bristled as a great shadow loomed over the table. It sucked the life from the cafe.

No, this killing intent didn’t reach the other patrons, who chatted and laughed as if all was well in the world. An endless black void devoured their tiny piece of the cosmos. This shadow lifted it’s head, sharp eyes of steel and gold stabbed straight into Bakugo, whose skin prickled like pins and needles. Kaminari and Sero shirked back into their seats, like rabbits cornered by the fox. Kirishima’s jaw was practically on the floor.

Mina, despite the rampant fear, had to hold back her awe as Bakugo shivered, actually _shivered_. Bakugo longed for the familiar snaps and pops of his quirk, but shards of icy dread crawled up his body. After a few seconds stretched into an eternity, the aura vanished as if it were never there, the massive shadow retreated back to whatever hellish domain it emerged from. Silence rang too loud in their ears as the world returned to normal, and in the shadow’s place stood Kurusu.

Kurusu had that angelic smile as he set out their plates.

“You’re lucky.” His silky voice made Kaminari and Sero jump out of their skin, “This is the last of today’s curry. I’m glad we made more than usual. Enjoy.”

Kurusu tucked the platter under his arm and left. It was like the Grim Reaper had his scythe at their necks, ready to claim their souls, only to be alive because of a sliver of mercy. They all stared at their delectable steaming plates for several seconds, catching the breath that was stolen from their lungs.

“Dude!” Kaminari wheezed as he stared at Bakugo, “Why did you say that!? I thought we were gonna die!”

“A-are you sure he’s quirkless?” Sero clutched his chest, “That was really scary! I would rather experience the USJ attack again before going through _that_!”

“I _was_ going to tell you that he’s quirkless-”

“But totally badass and manly!” Kirishima shouted, “He did this awesome speech about it when we were here last time too, and it really pumped us up! Isn’t Kurusu-kun so cool!?”

“Scary cool.” Kaminari whispered in awe.

“So Bakugo,” Mina smiled, showing one too many teeth, “What was that you said about Kurusu being useless?”

“Shut up! I didn’t say a damn thing!”

Whatever these extras heard, his voice _didn’t_ crack. It didn’t! He ignored the idiots as they all snickered, he grabbed his spoon and shoved a mound of curry in his mouth. He almost sputtered as the blend of delicate flavors caressed his palette, it was just the perfect mix of spices, a precarious balance that was just….

He had no words for it.

Mina noticed the sudden change in her explosive friend, and was the second one to try it. She nearly squealed as the flavor danced around in harmony, she took an experimental sip of coffee and pounded her fist on the table.

“Is it really that good?” Sero asked, grinning.

“It’s so good that it shut Bakugo up!” Kaminari slipped his phone out to take a picture, “And Mina!”

A couple looked over to their table.

“First time trying the Leblanc Special?” The woman asked.

Neither Mina nor Bakugo could form words, so Mina just nodded frantically. Kirishima dove in next as the couple laughed, tears formed in his eyes and he gobbled down a few more spoonfuls, accompanied by sips of coffee.

Sero and Kaminari looked at each other and shrugged, then dug in.

Their table joined others in silent bliss, and it didn’t take long for the curry to be inhaled. Their cups were emptied, their plates cleaned. Mina nearly cried when hers was gone, Kirishima scraped his plate for any last remnants of luscious sauce.

“Can I just…” Kirishima sighed as he waved his hand, “Take a whole bucket of this curry home?”

“What about the brownies?” Kaminari asked as he patted his stomach.

“Oh yeah. I kinda forgot about them.”

“I’ll go see if Kurusu-kun can fix us up.” Mina said as she slipped out of the booth, “We all need dessert!”

Sero looked at Bakugo, “Dude, I think you should apologize-”

“Don’t even.” Bakugo scowled as he crossed his arms.

“Don’t be like that, man!” Kaminari said with a smirk, “At least admit that you were wrong!”

“I don’t have to do shit!” He stood from the booth and glared at them, “The least of all apologize to some quirkless loser.”

Bakugo ripped through his pockets and slammed his part of the payment on the table. Mina’s grin fell as she returned with a plate of brownies, Bakugo swiped one and then stormed off.

“Bakugo!”

“Let him go, Mina.” Kirishima said.

“But-!”

“Maybe he just needs time to cool off,” Sero shrugged as Mina sank into the booth, “It’s not every day that Bakugo has to admit he’s wrong. It’s a one in a billion chance.”

“But you know,” Kaminari snatched one of the brownies as he looked at his phone, “We are so going to tell everyone how _awesome_ this guy is.”

Mina waggled her fingers at him, “The scary handsome barista.”

“Mina!” Kirishima cried.

“What!? If Ochako won’t take him, then I at least have to try!”

Sero facepalmed and Kaminari chuckled. Kirishima turned as red as his hair.

Meanwhile, Bakugo stomped down the street, glaring at the brownie in his hand as if it had personally insulted him. His thoughts whirled at a thousand miles an hour. Racoon eyes said that the barista was _quirkless_ , but there was unimaginable power within him. Nobody projects that kind of lethal instinct without having gone through some heavy shit in life.

That kid wasn’t like Dekuin middle school, meek and worthless, a stupid little pebble in the road. No, he was a real threat. A challenger. A malicious grin crept onto Bakugo’s face as he devoured half of the brownie. 

Maybe a real challenger is just what he needs.

~*~*~*~

Tsukauchi Naomasa was the epitome of exhaustion.

His keys were thrown into a jingling mess on the side table, his foggy brain almost forgot to take off his shoes at the door. He dragged himself down the hallway and collapsed like a sack of potatoes on the couch. The cushion in which he squished his face into was dusty. 

His whole apartment was dirty.

The pile of dishes grew, the mountain of laundry could come alive and eat him at any moment, his shelves and counter spaces gained a healthy layer of grime. Did he have the time or energy to clean? No. Did he care? Also no.

His brain nearly drifted off then and there, but of course it couldn’t be that easy. He groaned as his phone rang, a few rare colorful curses left his lips as he dug through his pockets, his arms were like thousand pound weights being dragged underwater. He squinted at the screen, then hauled himself up.

“Hello?”

 _“Detective,”_ Eraser’s voice filtered through, _“I was just calling to update you on last night’s patrol.”_

“Let me guess,” Tsukauchi blinked, “No sign of Joker?”

_“None. Midnight and I scoured Kamino with the help of Edgeshot, but no luck. Nezu already swept through the cameras and he hasn’t been able to find anything either. That signal was just a diversion, so we’re having doubts that he was ever in Kamino at all. We’ll have to look elsewhere.”_

Tsukauchi scrubbed at his eyes, “Should we really be surprised at this point?”

 _“Guess not. The kid’s good, I’ll give him that.”_ Aizawa chuckled dryly, _“What about the investigation on your end?”_

“Investigation?” Tsukauchi chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound, “What investigation? Any trail to Joker’s current whereabouts or to the identity of this mysterious ‘T-san’ have all gone cold before they even begin. We’re just barely beating back the media sharks as it is.”

Aizawa hummed, _“Nezu seems to think that this will be a pattern.”_

“What? Disrupting society and then vanishing without a trace?”

_“You know the saying. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, third time is-”_

“A pattern.” Dread roiled in Tsukauchi’s heart, “I don’t think the Hero Commission will take this laying down anymore.”

_“What do you mean?”_

“I just got back from a meeting with Chief Tsuragamae and the Hero Commission’s board.”

_“And?”_

Tsukauchi bit his lip.

_“Detective, what happened?”_

“They,” Tsukauchi cleared his throat and sighed, “They’re putting a bounty on Joker.”

Silence. Muted rage boiled over the other end of the line.

_“You’re kidding me.”_

“I wish I was.”

_“How much?”_

Tsukauchi was hesitant to say the amount. It was outrageous, _ludicrous_ , both he and the Chief heavily objected to it, but the Hero Commission was bordering on savage desperation at this point.

_“Tsukauchi, how much are they putting on the kid’s head?”_

“Twenty five million yen, given to any with information that’ll lead to his recapture.”

 _“Twenty-”_ Tsukauchi has never heard Aizawa sputter before, _“Twenty five million yen?”_

“Yeah.”

_“He’s a kid! Yeah, he’s a vigilante and a pain in the ass, but he’s not a triple S rank villain!”_

“I know.”

_“What the hell are they thinking!?”_

“I don’t know.”

_“Nezu will fight tooth and nail against that.”_

“I know, but it’s already in the works. There’s nothing we can do.”

_“This is ridiculous.”_

“Yeah.”

_“Can’t they see that this will end in disaster?”_

“Eraser, I _know_.” Tsukauchi leaned forward and placed his head in his other hand, “Public opinion of Joker is at an all time high and raising each day, while their reputation is getting dragged through the mud. The Hero Commission is convinced that he’s a menace, the only way they feel like they’ll have any success is to appeal to people’s sense of greed.”

_“When are they going to announce it?”_

Tsukauchi looked at his calendar, “Friday afternoon at the latest.”

The detective held the phone away from his ear as Aizawa cursed worse than a sailor who stubbed his toe. Tsukauchi scrubbed at his eyes as it continued for several long moments. A heavy sigh came through the line when he was done.

_“I don’t see this going well for anybody involved, for the kid especially.”_

“Yeah. Both Tsuragamae and I fought against it, but the majority of the board voted for it regardless. We would’ve had better luck shouting at a brick wall for four hours.”

_“How are you holding up? I know this hasn’t been easy on any of us.”_

“I’ve been…. okay?”

_“Really. And when was the last time you slept?”_

Tsukauchi narrowed his eyes, “I got about an hour nap before those press conferences, I think? But I had to do _another_ press conference after, then go through a mountain of paperwork before meeting with the chief. I’ve been too busy to get any sleep.”

_“Wait, weren’t those press conferences on Monday?”_

“Yeah, and?”

_“Tsukauchi.”_

“What?”

_“Today is Wednesday.”_

“Oh.”

_“Yeah, ‘oh’.”_

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m still finding glitter in my apartment, at my office. It’s even in my car. I think it might be here to stay.”

_“Don’t remind me. I’m still finding the cursed stuff all over U.A., my house, I washed and rewashed my sleeping bag too, but some of it is still in there. Midnight’s not better off either, but she actually seems happy about it. Nezu keeps that damn stuffed fish in his office. I think he might actually name it.”_

“I thought that was locked away in evidence?”

_“Did you think that would stop him from claiming it? He grins at that thing all the time, it’s creeping me out.”_

“I can only imagine.” Tsukauchi suppressed a yawn, but that didn’t fool Aizawa.

_“Look, I’ll have Nezu pull some strings so nobody disturbs you. Get some sleep.”_

“What about you? Weren’t you and Midnight patrolling all last night?”

_“We have classes to teach and haven’t been awake for three days straight. We’ll manage.”_

“If you say so.”

 _“I’m serious. You’re running yourself down too much, the last thing I want to see is you falling apart at the seams. The kid will need us in tip top shape if we want to help him, after we bring him in. Whenever that would be.”_ Tsukauchi felt Aizawa’s bone-deep sigh right in his soul, _“But we could all use a break, so how about this. There’s a small cafe near U.A. that my brats won’t shut up about.”_

“I think I know what place you’re talking about. One of my officers goes there all the time, says the coffee is out of this world.”

_“Right. Let’s go there next time we have a day off.”_

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

 _“Alright, now I know you’re so sleep deprived that you can’t even think properly.”_ Aizawa scoffed, _“Not even in your dreams, detective. Now, get some sleep or else I’ll sic Midnight on you. Don’t think I won’t.”_

Aizawa hung up. Tsukauchi laughed as he set his phone on the coffee table, then collapsed back into the couch and closed his eyes. He was out within seconds. His soft snores were only heard by the lingering dust bunnies.

But, as they would learn the hard way, setting a price on Joker was the worst mistake they made yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh don't worry, dear readers. Hitoshi and Akira will get their talk, but now is not the right time ;) 
> 
> A storm is brewing.


	27. Star Forneus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something about his snowy white hair and gray eyes seemed familiar, for some reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The votes are in! Admiral Feesh is the name of Nezu's new friend :)

[Admiral Feesh ](https://asiananderson.tumblr.com/post/628306842275266560/because-i-read-dost-thou-even-steal-hearts-by)fanart!

~*~*~*~

“Izuku! The tea is ready!”

“Coming!”

Izuku burst out of his room, his bag over his shoulder. His U.A. uniform was a little wrinkled, and his tie disobeyed every sorry attempt to get it right, simply hanging loosely on his neck. His mother smiled at him as she set out the two cups on the coffee table. It was a little ritual they did every morning after breakfast, before he went to school. Just sitting with her, drinking tea and talking, or watching the news, made their mornings better.

He sat next to her and reached for his cup, the TV droning in the background.

“Izuku,” She said with a warm smile, “Did you get any sleep last night? Don’t think I didn’t hear you were up late, young man.”

“I-it’s nothing!” Izuku chuckled, “I was just doing homework! And researching heroes, you know how I get sometimes. I just lost track of time?”

She hummed and gave him a knowing look, “If you say so, Izuku. Just remember that getting enough sleep is important too, alright? I don’t want my baby getting too exhausted or sick enough to not go to school.”

“I won’t, I promise!”

“Speaking of school, when will I get to meet your friends? You’ve told me so much about them!”

“Maybe we could have them over for dinner sometime?” Izuku said, but he frowned when he thought of somebody else, “Oh, I made a friend outside of school too!”

“Really?” His mother gasped, and a playful grin brightened her eyes, “Is it a girl?”

“Wh-what!?” Izuku’s face turned beet red, “N-no, it’s not like that! I-I made some friends that are g-girls in class, but-”

“My baby is growing up!” She cried, her hands folded together over her chest, “Is she the one that gave you that lovely bento!? When will you have your first date? When can I meet her? Oh, I’ll have to dig out my old photo books and show her your baby pictures!”

“Mom!!”

She took one look at his cherry-red face, steam could come out of his ears at any second, and bit her lip. It was no use, she couldn’t hold back. Her airy laughter brought a smile to his face, despite the volcanic burn of his cheeks. She reached over and ruffled his hair.

“You know I’m only teasing, sweetie. Just let me know what foods they like and when they can come over. I can make their favorites!”

Izuku frantically nodded and downed the rest of his tea, then he stood.

“I-I better start heading to school! I don’t want to be late!”

“Alright, honey. Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll get them before going to work.”

“Right!”

He was about to set his empty cup on the table, when the TV suddenly flashed red, a ‘BREAKING NEWS’ trailed across the bottom of the screen. Izuku recognized Demizu Mika, who was slowly getting renown for announcing any news related to Joker.

_“This just in,”_

Her voice was strained, and though she kept a neutral face, there was the telltale dip of a frown. The heat from his face finally drained away, though his gut churned. It didn’t have anything to do with his mother’s cooking, either.

 _“The Hero Public Safety Commission has announced today that they will be setting a bounty on the vigilante known as Joker._ ” Her brow creased, _“The sum of twenty five million yen will be given to anybody who has information leading to his arrest-”_

The cup shattered on the floor.

“I-Izuku!?”

Izuku jolted as she rushed to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, s-sorry!” He knelt down and began picking up the shards.

“I’ll go get the dustbin!” She fled into the kitchen and returned a moment later, “Are you alright, sweetheart? You’re awfully pale all of a sudden.”

“Y-yeah!” He gently grabbed the dustbin from his mother’s hands, “It’s just…”

His eyes lingered over to the television. His mother blinked, then followed his gaze as a hotline came onto the screen.

“Oh, dear.” She folded her hands together as Izuku swept up the broken cup, “That is quite upsetting.”

Izuku stilled his hands, “Mom, what do you think of Joker?”

“I…” She knelt beside him, “If it’s true, what they’re saying about him on the news, then he would be labeled as nothing more than a criminal.”

Izuku bit his lip as her expression softened.

“That’s what I would think too, had I not known any better.” The classic Midoriya tears flooded her eyes, “B-but, as a mother, I have nothing to give that boy except my gratitude. He saved my baby during the USJ, and it’s not hard to figure out what you went through in Hosu. Given what I know through his live interview. I might not be as smart as some people but I can put the pieces together, Izuku.”

Izuku sucked in a breath, his heart pounding.

“H-he was there to help you through everything. How can I vilify somebody like that?” She wrapped her arms around him in a side hug, “Maybe he’s a little lost or misguided, but I think Joker is good at heart.”

Izuku put down the dustbin and hugged her back.

“H-he was really cool, mom.” He said after a moment in silence, “And his quirk is amazing too!”

“Oh?” She pulled back with a watery grin, “So have you been staying up researching heroes, or trying to find out more about Joker?”

“I-it’s-!” He sputtered and waved his hands, “I… you guessed it right.”

She snorted, then picked up the remains of the shattered ceramic.

“This bounty is scary,” She said as she looked at the TV, “I hope that poor boy will be alright.”

Izuku bit his lip as his phone vibrated. He reached into his bag and glanced down at the chat room between himself, Todoroki, and Iida. Neither of them were happy about the news.

“I… I better leave for school. I don’t want to be late.”

“Alright, sweetheart. Have a good day!” She shut off the TV and sighed, “You know I love you, right?”

“Of course!” He picked up his things and made for the door, “I love you too!”

Izuku raced out of the apartment with a heavy heart, one of many scattered across the country.

~*~*~*~

Akira merged with the flow of people, he was nothing but a faceless mask in the crowd.

His current destination? The mall, a bright beacon of modern architecture and trendy storefronts. He was on his own, aside from Yatagarasu’s constant shadow, fresh off from his shift in the Blue Lotus Cafe. Morgana might get mad about Akira going without him, but he’d get over it.

Aiba sent him a text the moment he stepped out of the cafe, telling him to go to the nearest mall as soon as possible. He simply sighed, but his natural curiosity got the better of him.

The dazzling arrays of Musutafu’s largest mall were just around the corner now.

 _“Why do you think the Aiba girl sent us here?”_ Yatagarasu flew over the mall roof and perched atop the skylights, _“Traversing this palace seems impossible all in one day.”_

Akira held back a snort, _“A palace?”_

_“Is it not? There are several floors and more shops than I could hope to count. The humans on the first floor look like ants from up here. If this isn’t the size of a decent palace, then I don’t know what is.”_

_“Well, you’re not wrong.”_ Akira peered up as he followed the crowd inside, _“We’ll just explore and see why she wants us here. She said it would be pretty obvious.”_

Yatagarasu hummed, but said nothing more.

The mall opened up into a vast array of sights and sounds, pops of colorful glass decorations hung around the various floors, the sunshine streaming in from the skylights made them sparkle, reflecting blobs of color all across the mall. Escalators connected the various floors together, alongside a few elevators. Quite a shame, really. They weren’t as fun as a grappling hook, but not everything could be traversed in such a stylish fashion.

He passed the bustling food court and wandered aimlessly around the first floor.

 _“Do humans really need all of this garbage?”_ Seth asked as Akira passed a few more stores, _“Seems like a waste to me.”_

 _“Oh Seth,”_ Titania said with a sigh, _“I don’t expect you to understand the intricacies of fashion.”_

_“And you do?”_

_“Well, not the human sense of fashion, but I had an entire wardrobe crafted by the finest druids and faeries from across the realm.”_

_“Really? I bet you looked pretty in all of them!”_

_“Yes, my dear Alice, I did. Oh, if only I had that wardrobe now. I could have my fae servants make clothes for you, and we could spend hours dressing you up.”_ She sighed, such a sad sound that wilted flowers, as she patted Alice’s head, _“I think it would’ve been fun.”_

Alice giggled, _“Maybe we could do that one day!”_

_“Maybe…”_

_“If you call those sickening green rags ‘fashion’, then keep me out of it.”_

_“Shut up, you harlot!”_ Titania sneered at Ishtar, _“You’re one to talk, with hardly any clothes yourself!”_

_“Oh please, my clothes are made of the finest silks in the land. A goddess of love has to look tempting, no?”_

Akira kept from rolling his eyes as he ascended up to the second floor, he could feel Arsene facepalming.

 _“Hush now, both of you.”_ The low, raspy voice was accompanied by the soft whisper of sickly scales, _“If thine must dispute over fashion, then thine must agree that the Trickster is the most stylish of all.”_

 _“Well,”_ Titania crossed her arms, _“You’re not wrong there.”_

_“Indeed.”_

_“...”_

_“...”_

_“Did we just agree to something, Ishtar?”_

The goddess of love scoffed, _“Don’t get used to it.”_

_“Harlot.”_

_“Fae Witch.”_

_“That didn’t last long.”_ Byakko muttered.

By then Akira had scoured the second floor and meandered around the third, utterly ignoring two of his most ferocious personas. He scratched the back of his head with a sigh. He hadn’t really seen anything other than regular boutiques and enough stores for hero merch to make his head spin. Akira leaned on the railing and looked down across the mall, he took a moment to survey his surroundings. A smile crept on his face. If only Yusuke could see the variety of otherworldly people wandering around, he would get inspiration in waves.

After a few minutes, he dug out his phone.

_“Hey! You’re at the mall!”_

“Yeah, but I don’t see anything interesting,” He said with a frown, “Why did you want me to come here?”

_“Did you at least look around the whole place?”_

“No, not yet.”

 _“You-”_ Akira could feel her pinched expression, _“You’re hopeless! Let me help you, then you’ll understand!”_

“Okay..?”

_“Has he found-”_

_“Shh! Don’t spoil the surprise, Gentle!”_

_“Oh, right. Of course.”_ Tobita chuckled, _“I cannot wait to hear his reaction.”_

_“Right!? Anyway, go to the fourth floor and head towards the back.”_

Akira snorted, but followed her directions to the letter.

_“Aaand now! Take a left and it should be right in front of you!”_

He stopped, then looked up. If he had a drink he would’ve spat it all over the place.

“You’re _kidding_ me.”

_“He found it, Gentle!”_

In front of him was a store, smaller than he’d seen so far, but painted in such vibrant red and black that it stood out from the rest. Akira gaped at the poster in the display window, a flaming mask and top hat stared right back at him, the ‘Take Your Heart!’ clear for all to see. Inside was a variety of items, fake calling cards, more posters and wall hangings, and were those _figurines_?

“No way.”

Aiba and Tobita’s laughter echoed from the other end, _“Oh! Hold on!!”_

She hung up, and he looked at his phone with furrowed brows. Not two seconds later she sent a picture. Tobita, holding up Joker’s mask to his face like one would at a masquerade ball, and Aiba, with the biggest and sunniest grin he’d ever seen on her, displayed an impressive collection of enamel pins. She had another mask sitting on the top of her head. One of the posters was on the wall, too.

****[Curry God]** **

_When did this happen?_

****[Haxxor]** **

_A couple of days ago! The heroes have already tried to put a stop to it, but the demand was too high. There was merch for Stain too, but people stopped buying it as soon as they came out with this._

****[Curry God]** **

_Is it bad to want to buy your own merch?_

_Wait, I feel like I should be getting royalties for this._

****[Haxxor]** **

_Nope! Gentle and I are totally going to buy everything too!!_

_Don’t feel bad, these companies wouldn’t be trustworthy for something like that. Especially after they announced the bounty._

****[Curry God]** **

_Don’t remind me._

****[Haxxor]** **

_Hey, it’s not all that bad! Your reputation is through the roof right now!_

****[Curry God]** **

_That’s not always a good thing, though._

_Hence the 25 million bounty?_

_Actually, I’m surprised it’s so low._

****[Haxxor]** **

_I was expecting at least 50 million, give or take._

****[Curry God]** **

_Really? I raise you to 75 million for this handsome face of mine :)_

****[Haxxor]** **

_Please don’t let it go to your head._

****[Curry God]** **

_I’m not! How much chaos do you think it’ll take to raise it that high?_

_What happens if I turn myself in? Do I get the bounty??_

****[Haxxor]** **

_PLEASE tell me you aren’t serious!_

****[Curry God]** **

_Why not? We could get the cash and then you and Morgana could break me out. I could split it between all of us!!_

_Aiba?_

_Hello??_

_You wouldn’t leave me in jail, right?_

****[Haxxor]** **

_Morgana’s not with you, is he?_

****[Curry God]** **

_No, why?_

****[Haxxor]** **

_That figures. He would smack you for being an idiot with such a stupid plan._

_I might just leave you in jail to teach you a lesson._

****[Curry God]** **

_Wow. I was going to say I love you too, but…_

****[Haxxor]** **

_PFFFT_

_Stop worrying about the bounty for now and go buy some merch!_

_The both of us demand pictures afterward!!_

Akira chuckled as he dumped his phone in his pocket, and stepped inside. 

Phantom Thief merchandise appeared in their version of Japan, but the stock here blew all of that out of the water. The sheer amount was startling. There was no way to make figurines for Arsene and Seth in his world, nor was it possible to see what his mask or other parts of his costumes looked like. The fake calling cards and posters were familiar, though.

He stepped up to a display with his masks.

Akira picked one up and felt the smooth plastic. It was smaller than his real mask and the material was wrong of course, but they got the simple design right. It was a strange thing to be holding it, without being in the metaverse or without his actual costume. There was no power in it, it was a dead thing.

 _“Hmph, a poor copy of the original!”_ Arsene announced, _“I wouldn’t give this rubbish the time of day.”_

_“Oh? I can feel your pride coming off in waves, Arsene. I think you’re happy that you have a figurine.”_

_“Lies, Titania!”_

Alice clapped her hands together, _“Bird Dad is happy!”_

_“I am not!”_

_“At least your figurine is perfect, Arsene,”_ Seth growled, _“They put the wrong number of horns on my head and my wings are too small.”_

 _“You can tell from just a glance?”_ Ishtar asked.

_“Of course! I take pride in them.”_

_“Wait,”_ Alice gasped, _“Does this mean we can all have figurines made of us!? We have to get the whole collection!”_

 _“Maybe,”_ Byakko said as he swished his tail, _“If we can get in the spotlight like Arsene and Seth did.”_

 _“Does it count if we already have statues made in our image?”_ The Dancer asked.

“ _Not in this context, no.”_ Titania said, _“But I don’t see a figurine of me here. And I worked so hard to put the Hosu fires out! How shameful of them.”_

“Hey, do you think we can dress up as Joker and claim the twenty five million?”

Voices dragged Akira back into reality. Two teenagers were sifting through the masks and pairs of red gloves. Boy, they really went overboard, didn’t they? At least they didn’t have his tailcoat here, or at least not yet. He shivered at the thought.

“No, dude!” The other elbowed his friend, “I think they would be smart enough to figure it out!”

“But they don’t know his real identity, right? That’s why they put the bounty out, because they’re too useless to catch him by themselves. Just think about it! What would you do with twenty five million yen?”

“Move away from your stupidity.”

“Hey!”

“Let’s be real though, Joker’s a true hero. Who would turn him in?”

“For that much money? I think everybody and their dog would.” He snatched up a poster and grinned, “You’re telling me that you wouldn’t call it in if Joker were in this room right now?”

“Of course not. He helped so many people get away from Silver Falcon and took down Stain.” The boy sighed as he held a box of pins, “Now just shut up and help me pick something. My sister would kill me if I didn’t get anything for her. I think she’s crazier over this vigilante than I am.”

“Sure, whatever you say, dude.”

Akira looked at the mirror set atop the mask display. His eyes caught the blinking red camera in the corner. As tempting as it would be to try on a cheap version of his mask, it would be a stupid move, he couldn’t risk the cameras catching Joker’s exact likeness. Still, he held onto it as he searched the rest of the store. He swiped a ‘Hee ho!’ magnet and a vibrant red coffee mug for Kaito. Perhaps a wall hanging could spice up his cubicle at the Raven’s Nest. 

He stopped in front of the row of Arsene figurines. It was impressive what they picked up from that grainy video with Eraserhead, they got every detail from the top hat and facial markings, to his dangerously heeled boots and crimson jacket. The dark wings reflected vague iridescent colors like oil would in water. Little gold chains hung from his jacket.

It was a perfect representation.

A slow grin sprouted over his face.

_“Don’t you dare, Trickster.”_

_“Oh, I am daring.”_

_“I will disown you.”_

_“Whatever you say.”_

_“Don’t make me ground you.”_

_“You can ground me all you want, Bird Dad. I’m still getting the figurine no matter what you say.”_

His other self flinched as if struck. Arsene hid his face in both hands and released a long, fiery sigh, his wings sagged at his sides. The others roared with laughter as Akira grabbed it and went to the front, where the clerk poked her head around a veritable mountain of merch.

She had auburn hair swept up into a high ponytail, thick glasses were perched on her nose. On the other side of the counter was a boy, a few years older by his looks, with spiky white hair.

“Really, Natsuo?” She said with a sigh, “I think you went a little bit overboard.”

“Nonsense!” Natsuo placed his hands on the counter and grinned, “Any excuse to drain that bastard’s credit card is enough for me, I’m adding insult to injury with Joker merch, too!”

“I take it you really like Joker?”

Natsuo whirled around to look at him. Something about his snowy white hair and gray eyes seemed familiar, for some reason.

“Who doesn’t!? Anybody who can give Endeavor a run for his money is good in my book.”

 _“I like him!”_ Alice beamed.

Akira smirked, “I agree on that.”

Natsuo’s face brightened up so much Akira thought he would go blind.

“Did you see those videos of Endeavor reacting to people saying Flameo, Hotman?” Natsuo asked, “I think I’ll make a top ten list and post it.”

“I’ve watched them about twenty times. Endeavor’s reactions are too funny, the best one is with that old woman, where Endeavor couldn’t say or do anything about it in front of a crowd.”

“Yeah! That’s my favorite one too!”

Natsuo held up his hand, Akira blinked at it before giving him a high five. The clerk sighed and put a hand to her forehead.

“Great. Now there are two of them.”

“Relax, Hina!” Natsuo slung an arm over Akira, “Just chatting with my new friend here.”

She heaved another great sigh, and ignored them as she scanned the items.

“Say, why don’t you let me pay for your stuff?”

Akira flinched, “That’s alright, I can get it.”

“Please?” Natsuo’s grin widened, “My old man _hates_ Joker and he’s loaded, I’m buying all of this stuff to get back at him. It’s the least I can do for a fellow Joker fan, hee ho!”

Akira had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking.

“If… if you’re sure, hee ho?”

“Oh, I’m more than sure!” Natsuo gently took the items and placed them on the counter.

Hina rolled her eyes, but she had a tiny smile on her face as she finished up and Natsuo paid. Akira took his bag as Natsuo lugged three or four on each arm, that triumphant grin had never left his face. They stepped out of the store together.

“Hey, so I hate to bounce this soon, but I have to get home and rub it in his face.” Natsuo said, “What’s your name?”

He pushed up his glasses, “Kurusu Akira.”

“Cool name! It was nice to meet you, Kurusu!” Natsuo turned and waved at him, “My name is Todoroki Natsuo, I hope I’ll see you around!”

Akira stood rooted to the spot as Natsuo disappeared into the crowd. Todoroki Natsuo, Todoroki Shoto. No wonder he seemed so familiar. He took out his phone and snapped a picture of the red shopping bag to send to Aiba.

****[Haxxor]** **

_Nice, you actually got some merch!!_

****[Curry God]** **

_Would you believe one of Endeavor’s kids paid for them?_

****[Haxxor]** **

_EXPLAIN_

Akira smirked as he retold the story. 

The irony of the whole situation was not lost to them.

~*~*~*~

The aroma of tea wafted from the kitchen.

Fuyumi knew it was Shoto’s favorite, it worked like magic to draw him out of his room whenever he wasn’t training. Her baby brother walked in right on cue. She poured a steaming cup and put it on the table as he sat down. His expression was always a blank mask, but she caught how his eyes lit up ever so slightly after the first sip.

“So, how was your day?”

She was always the first to attempt conversation, an art in which Shoto still needed to work on. He blinked slowly, gazing into his tea.

“It was interesting, I guess.” He said, “A few of my classmates got detention today.”

“Oh?” She tilted her head to the side, “What did they do?”

Shoto took a long sip, and looked up at her with the most stoic expression.

“They said hee ho in class. Shouted it, more like. You should have seen the look on Aizawa-sensei’s face.” 

“They-” She bit her lip to stop herself from chuckling, “Why did they get detention for that?”

“Aizawa-sensei was there when they tried to arrest Joker during the live interview. He’s in the photo where those heroes and officers were covered in glitter. He hates anything to do with glitter or the double H words.”

“No way!” She whipped out her phone and pulled up the viral picture, “Is this him?”

Shoto blinked at it. Aizawa-sensei, Nezu, Midnight, Detective Tsukauchi, and a group of police officers gaped up at the camera, covered head to toe in red and gold glitter.

“Yup, that’s him.”

“I am so showing my students tomorrow! You should see some of the pictures they’ve drawn lately, Shoto. Almost all of them are Joker. I wanted to take them home and hang them on the fridge, but with father…” She shook her head at the thought, “Oh, Natsuo should be home any minute, he says he’s bringing a surprise.”

“What kind of surprise?”

“He didn’t say.” She shrugged as a tired smile perked her lips, “I guess that would ruin the surprise, right?”

Shoto hummed, and the kitchen went quiet. They sipped their tea together in companionable silence, until they heard the front door open. Shoto instinctively stiffened, his knuckles turned white and his teacup creaked ominously. Fuyumi’s shoulders were lined with tension. Her gray eyes turned into frightened pinpricks.

“Yo!” Natsuo called, “Anybody home?”

The strain was dispelled, she and Shoto breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’re in here!”

Natsuo bounded into the kitchen with a wide grin and multiple shopping bags on his arms. Fuyumi gaped at him as he set them all on the table with a grunt.

“What are all of these?”

“Get this!” Natsuo glanced through the bags and dug out an item, holding it up proudly, “It’s Joker merch!”

“Natsuo! What about father-”

“Who gives a damn about what he thinks? I bought all of this stuff on his credit card.” Natsuo pushed Joker’s mask in Shoto’s hands, “If he wants to throw a tantrum about it then I can throw it right back in his face.”

Fuyumi sighed in defeat.

“So, what did you get, then? We might as well enjoy it before father burns it all to ash.”

“Oh, hell no! I’m not letting him touch this stuff. It’s going to decorate my dorm room.” Natsuo emptied the bags one by one, slowly covering the table with a mass of red and black, “Do you think the bastard would freak out if I left a fake calling card in his desk?”

“Natsuo, that’s a terrible idea!”

He snickered, “That’s the point, sis.”

“I think it would be funny.” Shoto said, deadpanned.

They looked at Shoto. Fuyumi’s hands flew to her mouth and her eyes went wide, she barely stopped herself laughing. Natsuo, on the other hand, pounded the table and held his stomach as he bowled over in laughter. Shoto had donned Joker’s mask.

“What?” Shoto tilted his head and blinked slowly, “Is there something on my face?”

“Shoto! I didn’t know you had a sense of humor!”

It was a tiny thing, the way Shoto smiled, just a twitch of his lips. There and gone again before they could blink, but Fuyumi and Natsuo saw it.

“Here!”

Natsuo unrolled a blood-red shirt and held it out to his little brother. ‘Take Your Heart!’ was on it, underneath the flaming top hat and mask, it was the first item Natsuo grabbed from the shelves. Shoto held it against his chest, it seemed to be the perfect fit. Natsuo scanned over his little brother with a grin.

“I think you look good, Shoto! Very stylish if I do say so myself.”

“Flameo, Hotman.”

This time, Fuyumi couldn’t hold back. She and Natsuo burst with laughter, all the while Shoto wore Joker’s mask and held the shirt on his chest, his expression as impassive as it always had been, though softer around the edges. It was a rare moment of mirth in the Todoroki house. His siblings calmed down after a few moments, wiping at their eyes.

All laughter and happiness turned to icy cold dread as they heard the front door open.

Fuyumi went as pale as a ghost, her shaky hands moved to hide the evidence. Natsuo reached out and gently grabbed her wrists, their eyes met, and Natsuo shook his head.

“But, Natsuo-!” She whispered, “He wasn’t supposed to be home this early!”

Shoto went as stiff as a statue, eyes locked on the kitchen entryway. He didn’t remove Joker’s mask or the shirt, even as powerful footsteps thundered closer.

“Natsuo, please.” Fuyumi frantically pulled away, “We have to hide it before-”

“What is going on here?”

The hair raised on the back of Fuyumi’s neck, her arms broke out in goosebumps. She slowly turned to see their father, looming in the doorway, sharp turquoise eyes skimmed the room. He was still in his hero costume, yet his flames were extinguished. Dead silence descended upon the kitchen as their father’s eyes narrowed at the items on the table, then he looked at Shoto with piercing eyes. The world froze over. It was always a question of whether or not hell was made of ice or fire, but she always wondered if it wasn’t both.

Fuyumi’s heart lurched. She was prepared for Shoto to be dragged away and punished with ‘training’, to spend an entire night by Shoto’s side and tend to his wounds. She expected flames to go off and shouting to start at any moment. Her hands wove together in anxiety.

Natsuo glowered and put his hands on his hips, his chin raised in a challenge.

Shoto simply stood there, like a deer in the headlights. 

“Well?” Natsuo spat, “You going to say something or not?”

Endeavor looked at his children, faces all lit up in fear or anger. Shoto in particular, though defiance was sparked in his eyes as he donned that vigilante’s merchandise. A false mask of confidence. Another few seconds of ear ringing silence pass, before Endeavor deflated.

“No.” He cleared his throat and sighed, “I’ll be in my office. Do _not_ disturb me.”

With that, he walked away.

No flames.

No shouting.

No…. _anything_.

The three of them gaped at the empty doorway, their father’s footsteps trailed down the hallway. Endeavor’s office door didn’t even slam shut. The quiet _click_ of the lock was as loud as a bomb going off. Fuyumi put her hands on the table to stabilize herself.

“Okay.” Natsuo rubbed at his temples, “ _What_ was that? Who is he and what did he do to the raging bastard?”

“I… I don’t know.” Fuyumi whispered, still shaken.

Shoto set the shirt on the table and removed the mask. He held it in both hands as he looked into the empty eyes and black markings, frowning.

“I think Hosu had a bigger effect on him than we realize.” Shoto said.

Natsuo raised a brow, “Really?”

“Well, he does seem different since he fought Stain and-”

Fuyumi cut herself off as he looked at Joker’s mask.

“And Joker. I don’t know the exact details,” Shoto said slowly, “But I heard he used a lot of fire power against Joker, and the vigilante came out completely unscathed from the flames. He wasn’t even touched.”

“He what!?” Natsuo’s jaw dropped, “I know Joker said he fought the bastard in his interview, but where did you hear that?”

Shoto looked up at his brother, “When I was in the hospital with my classmates, after Hosu. A hero told us.”

Natsuo whirled around to the doorway, “Okay, I’m going back to the mall to buy out the entire store.”

“Natsuo!”

“What?” Natsuo’s grin returned in full force, “If Joker somehow one upped the flaming asshole, then we have to support him with everything we have!”

“I doubt Joker gets any of the money, though.” Fuyumi said, “The heroes would shut that down in no time.”

“Well, there has to be something we can do?”

Fuyumi adjusted her glasses, “Maybe something online?”

“Perfect! Maybe I’ll ask one of my classmates to help us out, I think she’s been wanting to start a blog or something.”

Shoto looked down at Joker’s mask, and couldn’t help the rush of appreciation.

“Why don’t we take it further than a blog?”

Natsuo blinked, “What do you mean, Shoto?”

“There are plenty of articles and forums about Joker already. We need something more to set it apart from the rest.” Shoto looked his brother in the eyes, “A lot of people are upset that the Hero Commission put that bounty on Joker.”

Natsuo and Fuyumi looked at each other, then stared at Shoto with wide eyes.

“What exactly are you getting at?” Fuyumi asked softly.

“A petition,” Shoto said, “To have the Hero Commission rescind the bounty.”

“That’s….” Natsuo furrowed his brow as he paced the kitchen, “That’s not a bad idea, but what would make you think that the Hero Commission would even listen? It’s not like they’ll actually do it, even if we get a few signatures.”

“Maybe.” Shoto tightened his grip on Joker’s mask, “But a lot of people owe Joker. Look at the long list of Silver Falcon’s victims that are testifying as witnesses, or the heroes who can get back to their lives, not limited anymore after Stain’s maiming. One of my classmate’s brother is Ingenium, so if I ask him to pass the word around…”

Natsuo’s eyes lit up, “That agency has over 60 sidekicks! If they can help get enough signatures, especially from other _heroes_ -”

“And if it started with the number two hero’s children-” Shoto added.

“-Then they won’t be able to ignore it. They’ll have to at least consider it to save face!” Natsuo clapped his hands together, “Shoto, you’re a genius!”

“Father won’t like this,” Fuyumi said with a frown.

“I don’t give a damn what he thinks of it! And you, Shoto?”

Shoto couldn’t forgive his father, not now or any time soon. But the man was starting to change. They saw it in his eyes after Hosu, doubly so after Joker’s interview and the resulting interactions with his fans. Shoto’s training sessions weren’t as harsh, and he found himself with an inkling of free time every day. It didn’t unfurl the tangled ball of emotions within their hearts, but they loosened ever so slightly.

“No. I owe Joker a lot, too.”

“Good.” Natsuo dug out his phone, “It might take a while to set up, if she even agrees. I’ll keep you two updated and then we can go from there.”

“I’ll send a text to Iida and Midoriya about it. It’s the least we can do to repay him for Hosu.”

Fuyumi squared her shoulders. Her eyes were still uncertain, but there was a glimmer of resolve in them

“I’ll try to keep father from finding out about it.” She said, “I’m not going to sit here and do nothing, either.” 

“If the bastard does find out, then I’ll take all the blame. That said,” Natsuo looked up from the screen, eyes full of warmth, “We have our work cut out for us!”

Shoto nodded, and made a mental note to personally thank Joker the next time they met.

Would it be too much to ask for an autograph, too?

~*~*~*~

The ring of a bell startled Morgana out of his nap.

“About time you come back!” He said as Akira approached the front desk, “We were getting worried!”

“We thought that you were in trouble.” Kaito didn’t look up from his computer, “I was just about to start looking through media websites or police scanners, but it looks like you’re still in one piece.”

“Well, I did have a little adventure of my own.”

Akira set the shopping bag on the desk, and they peered into it curiously. Kaito stood from his chair and dug out the plastic version of his mask.

“You bought your own merchandise? Really?”

“Hey, I got you something too!”

Akira handed Kaito the mug with a grin.

“Huh. Nice.” He snorted at the ‘Take Your Heart!’ and set it on his desk, “I’m only allowing your coffee to go in it, though. Anything else is unworthy. How did you find this stuff?”

“Aiba told me about it right after I got off from work,” Akira pushed up his glasses with a smirk, “How could I say no?”

“Woah.” Morgana flicked his ear, “This stuff is higher quality than before. They even have a figure of Arsene! That wasn’t possible last time.”

Kaito scrunched his brow, but he knew better than to ask questions he would get no answers to.

“And Seth, too.” Akira said as he dug out the mini Arsene, “But he wasn’t happy about it. Too few horns for his liking.”

Morgana chuckled as he inspected all of the items, nose sniffing curiously. He eyed Kaito’s mug, his paws twitching. His feline instincts wanted him to push it off the desk, but he held himself back.

“Question.” Kaito said as he inspected Miniature Arsene, “Will I ever get to meet any of your friends? I’ve read so much about them online, but I have yet to see one in person.”

Morgana and Akira exchanged glances.

“You might regret saying that later.” Morgana said with a sigh, “Only a few of them would actually fit in this room.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask what the biggest one is.”

Akira scratched the back of his head, “He could probably wrap his body around the entire building, several times.”

“That’s…. impressive. And frightening.” Kaito looked between Akira and Morgana, “I feel sorry for the next person to piss you two off. Forget I ever asked.”

“Actually, I’m sure a few of them wouldn’t mind meeting you in person. Probably not any time soon, though. We’ll be busy.”

Morgana immediately stood, his eyes wide, “You don’t mean going out as Joker, right?”

“What else?”

Kaito bit his lip as his eyes flicked to Morgana.

“I think you should wait.” Kaito said.

“Why?”

“It’s been a bit since Hosu and the live interview.” Morgana shook his head, “But I agree with Kaito. We should lay low a little bit longer before going out.”

“Now you’re ganging up on me.” Akira smirked as he put a hand to his chest, “Morgana, I’m so disappointed in you. How will my heart ever recover?”

Morgana rolled his eyes, “Get over it.”

“Wow. I feel so loved today.”

The not-cat ignored him as he washed his face.

“As much as I hate interrupting,” Kaito held up the mask, his electric blue eyes stared into Akira’s through it, “The only reason I think you should wait is because of the bounty. Twenty five million is no small number, and people are still freaking out over it.”

“Aiba and I both agree that it should be more than that. Twenty five million is chump change.” Morgana shook his head as Kaito stiffened, “I’m not going to let something like a bounty stop us from doing our work.”

“Kid, do you have a death wish?”

“Uh, no-”

“Then _listen_ to me.” Kaito’s face hardened, a mix of several emotions filtered through his eyes, “I don’t want anything to happen to you or Morgana. Give it a few more days for the hype to die down. That’s all I’m asking.”

Akira frowned as he looked towards the door.

It was supposed to be easy, the waiting. The _hiding_. Laying low and recovering from their most recent adventure was nice, for the first few nights. But running along the rooftops in Hosu, scouring the city for danger. Protecting the innocent people from Stain and the Nomu. It was….

It was amazing.

Different in the ways of exploring the Metaverse or fighting Shadows. As the silence and inaction dragged on within the Raven’s Nest, the more Akira hated it. Something about the quiet nights made his teeth itch, his nerves jittery. His mind wandered back to Yaldabaoth’s battle, the screams of his friends echoed in his ears when he left with his thoughts. It didn’t help that Morgana cast him worried glances when he thought Akira wasn’t looking.

He itched to get back out there, he might lose his mind if he was caged for much longer. 

“I know you want to help people as soon as possible, Akira. I do too.” Morgana said softly, “But it’s simply too dangerous for us right now.”

“I…” Akira pinched the bridge of his nose, “I don’t want that to stop us forever, but you’re right. We’ll stay hidden for a few more days. Why are you always right?”

“I’ve already told you how great I am.” Morgana hopped to his usual perch and rubbed against Akira’s hair, “Of course I’m always right!”

“Fantastic.” Kaito said dryly, “Now that that’s settled, let’s discuss dinner.”

Akira gaped at him, “You did _not_ eat all of that curry already!”

“He did.” Morgana shivered and closed his eyes, “It was impressive to watch. We should be keeping a record.”

“Shamelessly, of course.” A tiny hint of a relieved smile appeared on Kaito’s face, “What can I say? I haven’t had any home cooked meals in over a decade. Sue me.”

“I can probably teach you how to make it, if you want.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try,” Kaito put the mask back into the bag, “But I have to warn you that I’m a terrible cook. There’s a reason why the bottom of most of my pots and pans are… _blackened_. Why else would I keep so much microwavable food here?”

“Nothing we can’t fix.” Akira grabbed the merch and walked towards the lounge door, “Coming?”

Kaito huffed, but he closed the Raven’s Nest and followed them into the kitchen.

The man set the fire alarm off twice, despite Akira’s best efforts. Morgana offered no help, his laughter filled the lounge like the fading puffs of smoke and charred vegetables. Kaito wasn’t even sorry, giving them a blank look as if to say ‘I told you so.’.

If their dinner was a little scorched, Akira didn’t say anything about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well....
> 
> Everybody better prepare themselves.


	28. High Pressure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quirks are overrated.”

This night was perfect for thieves.

The moon lay hidden behind a veil of clouds, casting a shroud of darkness over the city of Musutafu. Skulking shadows would cloak them from wary eyes. Warmth lingered on the breeze, an everlasting sigh between spring and the rising hints of summer, not yet bloomed. They couldn’t ask for better conditions.

Two figures lingered down the alleyway, their avian companion following on whispering winds.

“I think this should be far enough from the Nest.” Mona whispered.

Akira looked up from his phone, “Really? I can still feel Kaito’s nerves from here.”

“We’ll be fine!” Mona said with a smirk, “I think the only worried one is Kaito, but don’t think I haven’t noticed you looking at your phone more often than not. Is something bothering you?”

“It’s nothing,” Akira pocketed his phone with a sigh, “It’s just Hitoshi. He’s been avoiding me and hasn’t answered any of my texts. At first, I thought those bullies have gotten to him again, but Yatagarasu hasn’t seen hide or hair of them.”

“Hmm, maybe something happened while we were gone?” Mona hopped from his shoulder and onto a garbage bin, “Maybe just give him some space and he’ll talk to you when he feels ready.”

“I guess.” Akira frowned when he felt his burner phone go off, digging into his other pocket, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What’s up?”

Akira showed Mona the message.

****[???]** **

_Hey kid, It’s Giran. Got this number from a friend._

_I have an opportunity that you’d be interested in. Just call and set up a meeting when you’re ready._

“I don’t trust him.”

“You think?” Akira shoved it back into his pocket, “He’s not getting any more items if that’s what he’s after, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, he’s got another thing coming.” Mona eyed him, “Hey, we can’t worry about him right now! We have our patrol ahead of us, you should get psyched up!”

Akira pushed up his glasses as a terrifying smirk crept onto his face.

“You’re right.” A brilliant flash of blue donned his costume, “Let’s go!”

“That’s more like it!”

Mona hopped to Joker’s shoulder as he shot out the grapple, the silver wire spiraled towards the rooftops. They left behind the dirty alleyway in a rush of wind, tossed through the air in a fantastic flair of Joker’s tailcoat, his boots lightly crunched against the gravel. He stopped on the corner of the building. The city stretched out for miles all around them, a display of twinkling lights and dark alleys ripe for the picking.

“We have an entire sandbox to explore.” Joker swiveled his head around, “Where to even start?”

“Well, there’s one place we shouldn’t approach. That much is obvious.”

Joker snorted as they stared up at the shadow of U.A. far off into the distance.

 _“Trickster,”_ Yatagarasu glided over them, _“We know which district has the fewest hero patrols, it would be the perfect place to lay low and scout things out. Get a feel for things. Shall we start there?”_

_“Perfect! Maybe we can practice our bonds, too. Lead the way.”_

_“Understood.”_

Joker turned on his heel and followed. Mona blinked as they jumped from one rooftop and onto the next.

“Where are we going?”

“You know where I like to practice with my personas?”

“Around all of those abandoned warehouses?” Akira nodded as they hopped over another building, “That’s a good place to start! It’s on the opposite side of the city from that hero school, too.”

Joker slinked through the rooftops, running silent and graceful like an alley cat. They passed a small portion of the city before Mona suddenly snickered, Joker slowed to a stop and raised a brow at him.

“What?”

“I have an idea.”

“Don’t just keep me hanging.”

Mona grinned as a mischievous gleam entered his eyes.

“We both know where those warehouses are.” He said, “Why don’t we make it more interesting? You want to have a race?”

“Oh?” Joker matched Mona’s grin, “And what do I get if I win?”

“Pure satisfaction.”

“Really? That’s it?” Joker put his hands on his hips and leaned onto one leg, “And what do you want, if you win. I don’t think you stand a chance though.”

“Hey!” Mona batted Joker’s forehead, “Don’t you dare underestimate me!”

“Oh no, you booped me with your tiny paw.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice, “What ever shall I do?”

Mona stiffened. He grinned like the Cheshire Cat, and the next thing Joker felt was a blast of wind right to his face. Mona launched off his shoulder as Joker swung his arms to balance himself.

“H-hey!”

“Last one there’s a rotten egg!” Mona called from the next rooftop.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Joker shot off after him. For such a tiny thing, Mona was as fast as a bullet. His little form darted over the rooftops quicker than lightning, Joker’s footsteps pounded over rough gravel, but he was rapidly falling behind. Suddenly, his whole body was illuminated with green light as Yatagarasu’s shadow sped over. Joker laughed as he zoomed past Mona.

“Hey! No using your persona’s powers to cheat!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Joker said as he jumped across the rooftops, “You never said I couldn’t!”

“Fine! Two can play at that game!”

There was another spark of emerald light. The wind picked up and Mona jumped, Joker gaped as Mona used eddies and green whirlwinds to slingshot himself into the lead. Mona cackled as he pounced over several buildings at a time. Joker couldn’t help his own laughter as he chased after him, his personas cheering him on in a myriad of voices. The biggest grin sprouted on his face as threw himself down the next alleyway, Mona’s startled squawk was lost to him as the wind whistled in his ears.

The ground flew up to meet him, and at the last possible second he shot out his grapple. His stomach lurched as he swung in an arc and emerged back onto the rooftops. In the lead, he might add. He pushed off from his landing and broke out into a sprint, his tailcoat flailing. Yatagarasu wasted no time healing his sore shoulder.

“Are you crazy!?” Mona shouted behind him, “You could’ve gotten hurt!”

“Do you always have to throw my sanity into question?”

“With you?” Mona shot past him with a well timed wind blast, “It’s _always_ a question!”

“Get back here!”

It continued on like this for several minutes. Just him and Mona, bantering and racing across the rooftops without a care in the world. They were neck and neck as they neared the shadier part of town, nobody so much as gazed to the rooftops as they passed over. 

It was so _liberating_.

This freedom was intoxicating. It breathed new life into him, every strained pant, how he pushed his legs until they burned. The way his heart pounded in his ears as he jumped across a perilous alley. It was as if he was _born_ for this kind of life, with nothing but his feline partner and the night sky to watch over him. Entire neighborhoods bled away under the guise of their race, restaurants and uppity apartments were replaced by more humble abodes, until even those clean walls were stained by more and more graffiti.

The stink was easier to pick up this far away from the glamour of U.A. Every city had a darker part to it. Trash heaps plagued the endless alleyways, and you were more likely to find yourself staring at the point of a knife if you weren’t careful. There was no great, shining beacon of a hero school this far away. No prestige. Most heroes abandoned such places with no limelight.

Joker would make themselves more familiar with this district in time, but their true target of the night was more or less abandoned. 

It was the perfect place to practice with his personas, with the metallic scent of rusty warehouses and sickly sweet refuse mixed with salty air. They were close to their destination, with Joker just a hair’s breadth ahead of Mona. Of course, their little race couldn’t last until the finish line. Reality interrupted their fun like a popped bubble.

He skid to a stop as a shriek and clatter of metal came from below.

Mona’s blurred form slowed and he hovered at Joker’s side. All playfulness fell at the drop of a hat as they peeked over the side of the building, Yatagarasu was an invisible dot against the cloudy sky. Four men had surrounded a young woman. Despite the towering thugs cornering her against the wall, she had her shoulders squared and chin raised, her eyes set in a seething glare.

Joker was reminded of Wolf and his lackeys, but these men were different. They were not puffed up high schoolers looking to bully their classmate, these were the real deal. Thieves and muggers to their core. Judging by the knives in the grasp, they were not opposed to drawing a little blood, or perhaps worse. 

The leader’s hands hovered over the girl, sparking with electricity.

He unsheathed his dagger as he looked at Mona, “You have my back?”

“Naturally. I’ll cover the girl too, in case they try anything.”

Joker snorted as Yatagarasu vanished and a new power took his place. He dropped from the rooftop, his landing as hushed as a passing shadow, though not even the brightly colorful ripples drew their attention. Joker ran a hand through his hair and and laughed. The sound bounced around the alley, drenched in a cold sort of retribution.

They startled and whirled around to him.

“Now gentlemen,” His eyes pulsed with gilded light, “Is that any way to treat a lady?”

Sparky sneered as his cronies and the girl turned white, recognition flowed through their eyes.

“If you know what’s good for you,” Sparky grinned as electricity snapped across his body, lighting the alleyway, “You would just look the other way, kid.”

Joker eerily tilted his head, “I don’t think I will, thank you very much.”

“B-Boss,” Crony One said, “D-don’t you know who that is?”

“I don’t care who he is!” Sparky looked in between his comrades, “What are you waiting for!? He’s outnumbered, surround him!”

A slow smirk grew on Joker’s face as he allowed the idiots to shuffle around him. They were practically shaking in their boots, faces bone white with a sheen of sweat, the one to his left even recoiled when Joker looked at him. A stilted silence overtook the alley. The only clueless one was Sparky, who glowered at the others.

“Well!?”

“M-Maybe...” Crony Two held up his weapon, the point of the knife shook like a leaf, “Maybe we should just leave them alone-”

“Since when were you three cowards!?” He huffed when nobody moved, “I have to do everything myself!”

The girl cried out as the alley lit up with blue electricity, snapping arcs slithered across the alley in the blink of an eye. Confidence returned to Sparky’s lackeys as the winding volts trailed up his body, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but he heard his persona’s hissing cackles as the light died down. He dusted off his coat and stared into Sparky’s eyes.

“Wow. Did you really think that would work?” Joker waved a finger at him, “I’m almost disappointed in you, Sparky.” 

Sparky suddenly lunged for the girl, who pressed herself back against the wall, but his hand was sliced with a biting wind. Small red beads trickled down his arm as he cried out.

“Or that. You know, a leader should listen to his teammates.” Joker said as Sparky clutched his hand, skillfully twirling his dagger, “You should’ve turned tail and run while you had the chance.”

Sparky opened his mouth to say something, but Joker chose that moment to pull his persona into reality. A veil of heated blue light flashed in the alleyway, their cries of shock were buried by the hiss of flames and glimmer of creeping purple scales. A long sinuous body curled protectively around the Trickster as the scales rustled together, like the creeping whisper of death, a true promise of pain to any who opposed them. A human like face smiled down at the gaping thugs, six arms dancing in deceptively peaceful motions.

“Vasuki, you want to do the honors?”

“Thine who dares wish harm upon the Trickster,” Vasuki’s quiet, raspy voice made them freeze in fear, “Shall flounder in thine own filth.”

Vasuki raised his arms, the telltale spark of magic tinged the air. It wasn’t the elemental snap of ice or crackle of lightning, or a scalding burn of nuclear fire, this one a different incantation altogether. It was a trill of dizzying tunes that jacked the brain. Joker chuckled as the thugs collapsed, gurgling like newborns, their eyes blank and staring at nothing.

“Well, I did warn them.” Vasuki moved his body so Joker could pass, he knelt down next to Sparky, “I’ll have to add zip ties or something to the list. Keep an eye on them for a second, Vasuki? We don’t want them pulling anything else.”

The serpent bowed his head in acknowledgment.

“Wh-what…” The girl cleared her throat and approached warily, “What did you do to them?”

“Brainwashed them for a bit,” Joker stood and poked Sparky with his boot, “It’ll wear off in a few hours, long after they’re safely behind bars.”

Hopefully.

Joker looked over the girl as he sheathed his dagger. Short strawberry hair framed her face in elegant waves, her eyes were a brilliant orange, tainted by fading fear. Her clothes were rumpled, but she didn’t look injured. He relaxed back as an easy smile softened his face.

“What’s your name?”

His voice startled her, “Shirogane K-Kaori.”

“What are you doing out here?”

“I.. I was…” Her eyes shifted around the alleyway, amidst the thugs’ inane babbles, “I was just taking a walk.”

“A walk.” He slowly tilted his head, “This late at night, in _this_ part of town? Are there any other lies you want to tell me, or…?”

Her cheeks turned red as she took a sudden interest in her shoes. Her hands clenched and unclenched several times. She was having some sort of internal argument with herself. Still, Joker waited. After a minute or two she sighed, her shoulders slumped over and she still wouldn’t look at him.

“Look, Joker. I…” She reached into her jacket pocket for a crumpled piece of paper, “I’m looking for somebody. Maybe you can help? Have you seen him?”

Joker scrunched his brow as he gently took the paper and unfolded it. The giant ‘MISSING’ at the top was an eye catcher, alongside the teenaged boy that looked right back at him. He had the same strawberry hair and orange eyes like the girl.

“I haven’t.” Joker looked up, “Tell me what happened.”

“My brother went missing about two weeks ago,” She said slowly, her hands wrung together, “A-Around this area. I’ve been trying to look for him.”

She blinked rapidly, but Joker looked away as she quickly dabbed her eyes with her sleeves.

“So, did the system fail you too?”

“How did you know?” She finally looked him in the eye.

“You wouldn’t be out here all by yourself otherwise.”

“They… I tried, you know? I _begged_ them to keep looking, I know he’s still out there somewhere!” She hugged herself and shivered, “But they only gave up after one night. _One night!_ They haven’t looked again since he disappeared, said that he probably just ran away and that I shouldn’t bother them anymore! My brother wouldn’t just… just run away!”

Vasuki hissed at the spark of anger within Joker’s heart.

“Why would they do that?” He kept his tone neutral, as not to scare her.

“Because he’s quirkless.” She furiously scrubbed at her eyes, “They don’t think he’s worth the time or resources! Can you believe that?”

The paper crinkled under his grasp. He’s lived with just a fraction of the discrimination during his time here, seen those horrifying numbers about this generation’s quirkless victims. The person in the missing poster was still a teenager, a _kid_. A kid that was missing.

And nobody cared, except for the crying girl in front of him.

“Joker, you…” Her eyes flicked in between him and Vasuki, “You wouldn’t give up on somebody just because of that, right…?”

He carefully folded the poster and placed it in one of his hidden breast pockets.

“Quirks are overrated.” He said, “Why should anybody be put down over something they can’t control? Why be seen as a lesser person because they can’t blow bubbles out of their ears or grow their fingernails at an accelerated rate? It makes no sense to me.”

“S-so.. you mean…”

“I’ll poke around and see what I can find,” He gave her his debonair smile, “I won’t abandon him like the police did, that I promise.”

That was all it took. She whimpered as tears flooded her eyes. Kaori hid her face in her hands as she finally broke down, the pained sobs overtook the brainwashed goons at their feet. Joker stayed silent, both of his hands stabilizing the girl’s trembling shoulders. He got the distinct feeling he should give her a handkerchief if he had one, not that he really blames Arsene for feeling as such. Another item to add to the list.

She pulled herself together after a few minutes, shaking her head wildly.

“S-sorry, I just…” She sniffled and clasped her hands over her heart, “I’m so worried about him.”

“You have every right to be.” He said as his hands dropped.

“...Thanks. For saving me, and helping to find my brother. I…” She dug around in her pockets and jotted something down, “Here. In case you find any clues.”

“I usually ask a girl out on a date after getting her number.”

Kaori turned beet red, waving her hands frantically, “Th-that’s not-!”

Joker threw his head back and laughed, and she punched him on the shoulder for it. He totally deserved it. At least it made her smile.

“I probably shouldn’t stick around here much longer,” He said as he pocketed the sticky note.

“Right.” Kaori glared down at Sparky, “I’ll wait a few minutes after you leave, and then call the police. Electricity quirks are hard to control, you know? I can’t believe he fried his own friends by accident.”

“I knew I liked you,” Joker said with a wink, “I’ll let you know if I find anything about your brother.”

He barely heard her sputter between Vasuki vanishing and his short ride up to the rooftops. Mona’s familiar weight settled on his shoulders and they crossed to the next building.

“I heard everything.” Mona said, voice sour, “I can’t believe they’d ignore a missing kid.”

“I know. Unfortunately, we’ve seen worse than that before,” Joker hovered at the edge of the roof as sirens echoed somewhere in the streets, “But we’ll do what we can. Do you think La Brava is sick of doing us favors, yet?”

Mona snorted, “Not if we bribe her with curry. You’re building up quite a debt, Joker.”

“Well, at least our first night isn’t boring, right? What do you say we continue exploring after we call her?”

“You mean, continue _after_ we finish our race. I’ll win of course, and then you’ll have to buy me more tuna! I expect extra fatty tuna, this time.”

“Hey, I still haven’t said what I would get when I win?”

“What do you expect me to do?” Mona grinned as he stuck his nose in the air, “I can’t get you anything with these tiny paws, you’ll just have to live with pure satisfaction. Or don’t, because I’ll win.”

Joker scoffed as he dug out his phone and dialed.

~*~*~*~

Iguchi Shuichi stared down on his creaky old table.

On it were two items. A pair of masks, as different as night and day. One, nothing more than a simple strap of cloth, the other made with cheap plastic and black paint. A simple choice. It shouldn’t be so hard to choose in between them, yet it had taken days to sit down and look at them.

Two ideologies.

Two heroes.

He sighed as he leaned on his elbows and rested his forehead on his knuckles. His apartment wasn’t much, barely three rooms. The walls were paper thin, the lights flickered, the air conditioning was broken, this building’s washing machine didn’t work right and was more likely to rob you of your money.

He shook his head and glared at the masks on the table. Why was this choice so hard to make? It was supposed to be simple. Heads or tails, black or white. But that was the kicker, wasn’t it? Neither was black and white, purely good or evil. His mind was opened to so many shades of gray, and all it took to change his whole world were two individuals with strong willpower.

Another long sigh escaped him as he reached for his glass of water.

It took another hour, but he finally made his choice.

He hoped it was the right one.

~*~*~*~

Manami hummed happily to herself.

“I take it it’s going well?” Tobita asked as he set down a cup of tea.

“Yup! I should be finished editing by tomorrow, and then we can upload our first video together! Oh, I can’t wait to see how people react to my debut!”

He chuckled, a warm sound that filled her heart with joy, as he took the seat opposite of her. 

“I simply cannot wait,” He said, “It’ll be a video like no other!”

She nodded as she reached for her tea. Just then, her phone began to ring, a familiar number lit up the screen. Her tea was forgotten as she beamed.

“Oh, it’s Akira!” Tobita blinked curiously as she swiped it up, “Hey! What’s up?”

_“Greetings, La Brava.”_

Manami blinked, then had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. It didn’t work. Her playful snorts escaped and Akira’s chuckles added to her own.

_“Darn, I was hoping that would work.”_

“You really thought that your ‘intimidating’ voice would work on me?” She rolled her eyes, “Please. I was there when you called Taneo, both times I might add.”

_“Eh, it was worth a shot. Does it still sound scary?”_

_“As scary as a giant fluffy cloud.”_ Morgana’s voice trickled through.

_“Hush, I wasn’t asking for your opinion.”_

_“You weren’t, but I said my piece anyway.”_

Manami smiled. She missed this.

“Yes, you were still intimidating,” She said, “Anybody else would be shaking in their boots right about now. So, did you call me just to say hi?”

_“Well, that too I suppose. How are you holding up?”_

“Good! More than good, Gentle and I filmed our first video together! We’ll be releasing it soon, so you better watch it when it comes out!”

He whistled, _“We’ll be sure to catch it. Is he treating you well?”_

“Of course, why wouldn’t he?”

_“No reason, I just want to be sure. Fellow gentleman thief or not, I won’t pull any punches to anybody who hurts my friends.”_

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m tiny but mighty, remember?”

 _“I never forgot.”_ He said with a chuckle, _“Anyway, can you look something up for me?”_

Manami tucked the phone in between her ear and shoulder, fingers hovering over her keyboard. Tobita took a slow sip of tea, carefully watching on in interest.

“Sure, what do you need?”

_“I want to get information on a boy named Shirogane Kaien. He’s been missing for about two weeks.”_

“I can try.” Manami furrowed her brow, “Why did you take a sudden interest in a missing person?”

_“We met his sister, saved her from a bunch of thugs. Turns out the police gave up looking for him just because he’s quirkless. She’s been out looking for him ever since.”_

“Wait.” Her brows furrowed and her stomach sank like a rock, “You didn’t start patrolling already, did you?”

_“Yeah. Why?”_

“Why!?” She shot an apologetic look to Tobita, who flinched at her tone, “You should know why! I’m not the one with the 25 million bounty, and even I know you shouldn’t be out this soon!”

_“We can’t let something like that stop us forever. What do you think would’ve happened to this girl if we weren’t there? There aren’t many heroes in this part of town, if any.”_

“That’s true, but still…” She pinched the bridge of her nose, “Why do my boys have the preservation instinct of a suicidal dodo bird?”

She heard Morgana’s laughter as Akira sputtered. Tobita disguised his laughter with a cough, then poured himself another cup of tea to mask his smile. Akira gathered himself and cleared his throat.

_“Relax, we’ll be fine. We’re patrolling around one of the outer districts where there isn’t much action, just to get to lay of the land. We’re not looking to cause a big scene like Hosu.”_

“I’ve heard that before.” Manami couldn’t help the sudden swell of protective instincts, “You promised you would be careful, and yet you were plastered all over the news the next morning!”

_“If it makes you feel better, we’ll just patrol around for a few blocks and call it there.”_

“You promise?”

_“I promise.”_

_“Me too!”_ Morgana said, _“I’ll make sure he doesn’t show off more than usual, at least.”_

_“Hey, I don’t show off that much! Right?”_

She and Morgana stayed silent, a mutual agreement shared over a great distance. He sighed in defeat after a few moments of silence.

“I’ll hold you to that. I’m expecting a mountain of curry when we see each other again.”

_“I thought as much. I’ll make both you and Gentle a whole heaping pot, maybe two or three at this rate. He hasn’t tasted it yet, has he?”_

“Nope.”

_“Good, we’ll have to get his reaction on video. Savor it for years on end, maybe tease him with it a little bit.”_

“Yeah! Just make sure to come visit sometime soon? Or maybe we can come over there?”

_“We’ll have to work something out. I know I’m not the only one who misses you.”_

“Yeah, I miss you guys too.” She glanced over to her screen, blinking away her tears, “I’ll…I’ll get that information soon. I’m also working on a present for you, but you’ll just have to wait until it’s finished!”

 _“Ooh, mysterious_. _Can’t even give us a tiny hint?”_

“None.”

_“Pretty please with a cherry on top?”_

“Nope. You’ll get nothing from me.”

_“Darn, I tried. Well, I’ll let you get back to work.”_

“Wait!” The nails of her free hand dug into her palm, “Just…”

 _“We know.”_ Was that fondness in his voice? _“We’ll stay safe. We promise.”_

“I’ll believe you this time. Don’t you dare disappoint me.”

_“We won’t. We’ll call you in the morning, okay?”_

“Okay…”

_“Oh, did you happen to give Giran one of my burner numbers?”_

“Yeah, why? Was… was that not okay?”

_“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”_

With one last goodbye, they hung up. She placed her phone on the table and took a sip of her lukewarm tea. Tobita reached over the table and gently placed his hand over hers.

“It’ll be okay.” He said with a smile, “They’ve gotten out of every situation thrown at them so far. Besides, I have faith in a fellow gentlemen thief. They’ll be fine.”

“You’re right.” She said as he withdrew his warm hand, “I know you’re right. They can take care of themselves, but I just can’t help but worry, you know?” 

“I know how much you care about them.” Tobita gained an odd warmth to his eyes, “Spoken like a true big sister, eh?”

Her face burned, and she hid herself behind her computer. His chuckles lightened the heaviness weighing her heart. They would be fine. She was just worrying too much. Manami shook her head and threw herself into her work. Her fingers flew over the keys, familiar code bent to her will, her flawless virus was already worming its way into the system. After all, they were counting on her to get information for their mission!

She should’ve known that they would break their promise.

~*~*~*~

Hotaru Hiro lay in the filth of an abandoned alleyway.

Trash surrounded him in piles, the buzz of flies grated on his ears. He should’ve cared that his life had taken a turn for the worse, but that bet was supposed to be his ticket out of this dump! The dealer must’ve cheated somehow, maybe they pushed too much sake in his direction. He groaned as a headache pounded at his temples, he reached for the bottle hidden in a paper bag.

The burn of alcohol would wash away his woes. For a few hours at least. He was about to take another swig of the stuff, when he heard voices nearby.

“I told you I would win!” A boyish voice said, “I expect an entire plate of fatty tuna tomorrow.”

“Really?” A voice of buttery smooth silk said, “Why don’t you try something else? How about mackerel or salmon? Prawn? You might even enjoy the taste of sea urchin. Expand your horizons, Mona!”

Mona hummed, “Nah, I’ll stick with the fatty tuna.”

“You’re hopeless.”

“I should be the one saying that to you! What about your promise?”

“I’m not breaking it. We said we’d patrol around the block. I know we didn’t patrol that long, but I’ve been wanting to get out and practice for ages. This one has wanted to come out for a while, I don’t really blame him.”

Mona sighed, “Fine. We’re almost to the warehouse anyway.”

Hiro hunkered down in his trash pile as the figures traipsed past the opening. His mouth dropped open when he saw that flawless tailcoat and iconic mask. Colors popped from his footsteps. There was a cat on his shoulder, but the feline blocked him from Joker’s field of view.

He froze until he heard Joker’s footsteps fade away, a slow grin split his face in half. A frenzied laugh burst from his throat. It was his lucky day after all! The world spun as he pulled himself from the garbage, shaky fingers reached for his phone. It was an easy thing to look up the information hotline, though he had to squint and wait for the world to stop wobbling. Giddiness bubbled up as he hobbled out of the alleyway, the phone trilled in his ear.

That 25 million would be _his_.

~*~*~*~

He took a deep calming breath, ebbing the sudden urge to crush his phone with a gloved hand. The sprawling scenery was beautiful this high up, a breeze ruffled his hair from the highest point in the city. His vibrant red wings twitched as he longed to take flight. He reached to his ear and silenced his communicator.

“You know,” Takami Keigo muttered to nobody, “Just getting off from a 14 hour shift is exhausting. Too tired to listen in on any more calls, too tired to properly secure my phone so it wouldn’t fall out of my costume.”

He held the device out, precariously shuffling his fingers until it slipped from his grasp.

Hawks watched with vague interest. The phone grew smaller and smaller, until it was nothing more than a dot, then he lost visual of it altogether. It would crash and break on the pavement, shatter into nothing more than bits of plastic and metal. He could say he never saw that cursed text, lost his phone during his last rescue of the night. It wouldn’t be the first time it happened. Dozens of phones had suffered the same fate, though this was the first one he deliberately threw off a roof. They would have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Right?

That or punish him, but he’s wiggled himself out of worse situations.

He knew the gravity of it. The Hero Commission would pull no punches to get what they want. He should know, he was _bought_ because of his quirk. Sold like livestock, forced to train until his muscles almost gave out, molded to become the ‘perfect hero’. A puppet for the Hero Commission. He hasn’t seen his parents since. Did they ask after his well being? Were they even _allowed_ to come and see him? He was doubtful.

He doesn’t know what they would do to get Joker under their thumb. With that sort of power? They could do _anything_. A shiver crept up his spine at the mere thought.

Hawks wouldn’t wish that fate on his worst enemy. 

That message was still burned into his mind, long after he spread his wings and dove from the building, not even the wind under his wings could lift his heavy heart. It haunted him after he had landed on the balcony of the top floor of his agency, it still persisted when he dragged himself through the apartment and collapsed on his oversized bed. If anything would ever be burned into the back of his eyelids, it would be that message.

_‘Joker has been spotted. Report to the meeting location ASAP.’_

“Good luck, kid.” He muttered before sleep took him, “You’ll need it.”


	29. Price

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~From Chapter 24~
> 
> “And that’s what worries me.” Tsukauchi said, “What would he do if he were backed in a corner?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'A grin split Joker’s face.'
> 
> I *highly* suggest this ost when you guys get to this line :D
> 
> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HJAWAobzc5s

Their hearts were as heavy as boulders. Aizawa’s fists shook in a silent rage, but he hid them by crossing his arms and glowering.

“I don’t like this one bit. This is way overkill.”

“I know,” Tsukauchi said, glancing at Aizawa with a grave expression, “But we don’t have a choice.”

They looked out amidst the organized chaos.

Lesser pro heroes had poured in at the drop of a hat, sprinkled in with police officers donning riot gear and gas masks. Aizawa noticed the way the small time heroes gave each other glares and wary eyes, they didn’t care for capturing Joker as much as the prestige and fame that would follow his arrest. Perhaps they would get a small percentage of the bounty, too. First come, first serve straight into the spotlight.

But it was not all small time heroes.

Endeavor stood like a shining beacon, directing his sidekicks via a heavily encrypted radio channel as they secured the perimeter and helped close the net around Joker. Yagi Toshinori awaited in a small black car in the distance, ready to emerge as All Might at any moment, should he be needed. Aizawa wasn’t the only one who hoped he wouldn’t be. Other U.A. staff were peppered in the crowd.

The most recent ETA of Pro Hero Ryukyu was fifteen minutes, but other heroes such as Ingenium’s Agency have officially pulled out of the manhunt. Team Idaten had convinced others in the top 10, including Crust and Miruko, to pull out from the hunt. A few others followed their example. It culled their numbers, but the call of fame and money still attracted the others like moths to a flame.

The informant said Joker went in one of the warehouses before he started demanding the reward money. He was going to be brushed off as a drunken maniac, until he got a photo of Joker’s back as he walked between some rusty warehouses. He was lucky that Joker didn’t spot him, but they still didn’t know which warehouse he was in. They kept the man behind the lines at the other end of the district, just in case he tried anything. He wouldn’t get a cent until Joker was taken in.

Nezu, who was perched on Tsukauchi’s shoulder, took in everything with an unnatural calm. The principal had showed no emotion, though the tip of his tail gave away his nerves. He had been silent this entire time. Anybody who knew the mouse better count their lucky stars that they would never face a silent Nezu alone.

“Cheer up, Eraser.” Midnight gently elbowed him, her smile strained, “We have this in the bag.”

Aizawa rolled his eyes as he watched the various teams, frowning at their excessive weapons.

“I hope so, for the kid’s sake.”

Something moved in the corner of his eye. He stiffened as he looked up towards the nearby rooftops, eyes narrowed.

“What’s wrong?” Tsukauchi asked, tension lined his body.

“I thought I saw something.”

Midnight and Nezu gazed up to the rooftops.

“There’s nothing there?” Midnight said, “Are you sure you’re not just hallucinating?”

“I’m going to check anyways,” Aizawa slipped on his goggles and looked back at them, “The last time I thought I was ‘hallucinating’ was when Joker’s cat broke the both of them out of the station. I’m not making that mistake again. Midnight, don’t do anything stupid.”

“I wouldn’t-”

“I _mean_ it!”

He didn’t see her flinch as he made his way up.

“Hey, don’t take it personally.” Tsukauchi said.

“I know.” She crossed her arms and frowned, “He’s on edge, we all are. I’m going to go see if Hound Dog’s group has picked up a scent or not.”

Midnight walked away. Tsukauchi scrubbed at his eyes and sighed. Nezu let a tiny smile slip while he was distracted. Was this the ultimate checkmate, an end to a glorious vigilante? Or was it just a check and they were playing into Joker’s hand? Were they about to make a cataclysmic mistake? How would the _public_ react to such a strong show of force against a vigilante who’s gained the support of the people?

Nezu smirked as he waited for the events to unfold.

~*~*~*~

Mona sighed as he stretched out, mind a little bit clearer after his catnap.

The barest hints of morning seeped over the horizon. Mona yawned once more and shook his head to clear away the remnants of sleep. He explored around Joker’s warehouse for the first few hours, _incredibly_ bored. He complained to Joker about going home soon, but Joker didn’t seem to hear him every time he checked in, too focused on mastering a powerful bond. Mona didn’t blame him, given which persona Joker was practicing with they could be out here for days.

 _“Even the Trickster would have trouble controlling such power.”_ Mercurius whispered, _“That bond will take time.”_

Mona wrinkled his nose. He didn’t get why Mercurius insisted on calling Akira the Trickster, but he gave up trying to change his persona’s mind.

“Well, he’s been practicing for long enough.” He said as he turned around, “I didn’t realize how late it was! Now I’m going to have to fix his sleeping schedule. Do you know how long that’s going to take? I hope he doesn’t complain to Kaito about my nagging.”

Mercurius chuckled, the sound akin to an enchanting musical note.

Mona closed his eyes as he kneaded the metallic rooftop under his paws, letting the first rays warm his fur. He didn’t like the coppery scent that invaded his nose or the shady alleyways, but he would deal with them if his partner got stronger from it. His brow furrowed as the surrounding area flooded into his mind, drawn by the easy breeze swelling in from the sea. To the endless boxes and crates, rats eating trash, to holes and loose creaky doors from other warehouses. There were various groups of people that marched through the place.

Wait.

Mona’s eyes flew open as he crept across the rooftops. His claws were sheathed, his little footfalls padding silently.

_“Perhaps it is sailors going to the harbor?”_

“Maybe,” Mona whispered, “We’ve never been here this early. We better check it out, just in case.”

He inched closer to the swarm, then peeked over the rim of the building. A mob of officers and heroes milled about, police cars and vans were in the distance. Mona’s stomach turned.

“That’s a lot of people,” He said, eyes narrowed, “What are they doing here?”

His heart pounded as he willed the wind to expand with a long exhale, a knot of dread stabbed into him as his fur stood on end. These numbers…. it could’ve been a small army. 

“No…” He gasped as he pulled back, “There’s no way. How did they find us?”

_“We waste time. Hurry!”_

“R-right!” He bolted, his magic just within reach, “Hold on, Joker-!”

Mona slid to a stop and pressed himself onto the rooftop, eyeing the people below. He would have to time this carefully. Just blasting his way to Joker’s warehouse would give them both away, so he waited for a blind spot. Mona held his breath as the pros passed and prepared to jump… now!

His tiny form flew through the air and he landed on the next warehouse. He kept his body low as he crossed the next few buildings, but the last jump had been too hasty, if he had just waited a few more seconds…

Mona’s muscles tensed as he was about to leap, but the flow of magic within his soul suddenly vanished. Stopped dead like a frozen river. He froze as a shiver wracked his body. He frantically searched inside himself, but the whisper of magic was just _gone_. Mercurius’ voice ceased. The absence of part of his soul made his whole body tremble more, as if a pit of darkness sucked away at his life force. 

“Stop right there.”

Mona flinched and whirled around to Eraserhead. A crimson glimmer radiated from his goggles, his hair and loose scarf floating as if he were underwater, he went into a battle stance and grasped his scarf. Mona hissed and arched his back.

“That’s cute,” The man said, almost bored, “We know Joker is here somewhere, and we know that you can talk. So just give up and come in quietly, and I promise that you won’t come to any harm.”

Mona pressed his ears flat to his head and growled, eyes scanned around for an escape. He inched closer to the edge of the rooftop, all it would take was a drop, perhaps he could run through the heroes’ feet before this man shouted a warning? No, there were way too many people for that. He’d be caught for sure.

The man held his hands up, eyes still crimson, and knelt down.

“Look,” Eraserhead sighed, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I don’t want to do this the hard way. I don’t want to hurt Joker. I want to help him.” 

Mona snorted as he bared his tiny fangs.

“Funny.” The man stiffened as Mona finally spoke, “If you really want to help, then you’ll call off all of those heroes. But you won’t, will you?”

“It’s out of my hands. There’s nothing I can do, you and Joker brought this on yourselves.”

Mona scoffed, “So you pretend to care, but you’re just like the rest!”

“Like the rest? You mean the ones who used him? Who hurt him?” Eraserhead’s frown deepened, “Who hurt you? I want to be on your side.”

“Yeah, right.” Mona took a step closer to the edge, “People like you always lie. I’ve seen your type before, you’d trade us in the first chance you get.”

“That’s not true.” His eyes hardened, “Joker is still a kid. He has a chance to really make something of himself, the legal way.”

“Right. Because your higher ups aren’t eager to dig their claws into him. Why else would they go to such great lengths to gather so many people in such a short time? Are you really that blind?” Mona shook his head as a feral smirk peeked through, “You tell me, without a shadow of a doubt, that they won’t experiment on him or lock him in some underground cell and throw away the key. Joker’s too powerful to simply let him walk away. Isn’t that right?”

Eraserhead inhaled sharply. The hero said nothing, Mona could feel the gears cranking behind those bright goggles.

“I won’t let that happen.”

“Yeah? How? Are you ready to go against your own government?”

The silence stretched, counted by the thrum of their heartbeats. The not-cat laughed coldly.

“Figures.” Mona’s eyes burned into Eraserhead, “But I wasn’t expecting much from _you_ , Aizawa Shouta.”

The hero flinched back, “How did you-”

Behind them, the warehouses _exploded_.

~*~*~*~ 

_~ 20 minutes earlier…_

Sweat trickled down Joker’s brow as he concentrated.

He tried to grasp the scale of the Sacred Shimenawa large enough to wrap around an entire mountain. The power was _immense,_ an impossibly large pool of cosmic force flowed into him at a simple touch, to control the ocean crashing into his head brought on a stabbing migraine. He had to take it wave by wave, but it still drowned him. Joker gasped as he opened his eyes and leaned on his knees, panting as he let the bond go free. The sea of polished scales around him shifted.

“Keep trying, little one.” A voice of rumbling earth said, “We’ll get through this, but you must not give in to weakness.”

Joker wiped his brow and stood, straight staring into the liquid ruby eyes of Kohryu.

They were in the largest warehouse in the district, the great dragon had contorted himself in impossible ways to fit inside, his head flush on the floor in front of Joker, limbs and body splayed over boxes or grasping crates. The entire warehouse was covered with gold scales. Any sudden movement and his massive horns would gouge out the ceiling. Joker felt tiny in front of him, he was as tall as one of the spikes lining the dragon’s jaw.

“We’re been trying for hours,” Joker leaned back on Kohryu’s body, “But I haven’t even come close to controlling it yet. It’s too much for me to bare.”

Kohryu snorted, blowing back Joker’s hair and clothes.

“Perhaps my bond shall be the toughest of the whole stock, perhaps not. If I am not the most powerful bond, then let me serve as a stepping stone for something greater.” Kohryu playfully flicked his long whiskers, “You have the might and determination to control this unimaginable power, Trickster. I would not have given you my eternal vow if I thought you couldn’t handle it. Do not let this little bump tarry you.”

 _“You still talk too much, grandpa.”_ Alice said.

Joker snickered as Kohryu growled like a roll of thunder, “I do not.”

 _“Oh please, you oversized danger noodle.”_ The bubbly one giggled, _“You would spew an entire encyclopedia if none of us stopped you.”_

“Oversized danger noodle?” His whiskers sagged to the ground, “I do not understand what noodles have to do with imparting wisdom upon the Trickster. I am also not aware of any noodles that could potentially cause bodily harm, either. Am I misinformed?”

Joker burst out laughing. The dragon genuinely looked confused, a knot formed in his grand brow. He tried to pull himself together as he stepped up beside Kohryu’s head, patting the dragon’s snout through his chuckles.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Joker said, grinning, “They’re just teasing you.”

“I… see. Well, shall we continue or take a respite? The night has gone while we were training.”

“Let’s stop.” Joker sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets, “I’m surprised Mona hasn’t come back in yet. I’m sure he’s mad about the missed sleep.”

“Very well, let’s-”

Kohryu’s nostrils flared. His ears swiveled to and fro as his lips lifted to bare teeth sharper and longer than the finest katana. Joker lurched back at the overwhelming sense of hostility. It twisted their bond in a painful knot.

“Kohryu, what’s-”

“Shh!”

Joker snapped his jaw shut with an audible _click_. The dragon lifted his head an inch from the ground, the middle of his three horns grated against the high ceiling, the screech of metal made Joker cringe. Alarm shot through Kohryu.

“Trickster, quickly!” He whispered, “Climb to the rafters! Hurry!”

Joker blinked, the time it took for Kohryu to vanish as if he were never there. He shook his head and grappled up to the highest beam, balancing upon it as if he were a master tightrope walker. Just then, the door to the warehouse opened. Midnight, Hound Dog, and an entire squad of armored police flooded in. A few had _riot shields_. All of them wore gas masks.

“I thought I heard a noise.” One of the officers said, “It came from in here.”

“This scent….” Hound Dog growled, “It’s the strongest scent so far, but there’s something else to it. Almost… familiar?”

“Search the place for clues.” Midnight commanded, “Joker might still be close.”

Joker felt his blood turn to ice. They were here for _him_? When? _How?_

He bit his lip as they spread out. Joker glanced in between the group on the ground and the grimy window ten feet from him. He shifted his body, praying that the metal was stable enough not to creak, he toed one foot in front of the other. He moved at a sloth’s pace. His heart pounded in his ears as he reached the window, jaw dropping.

Entire squadrons of police and groups of heroes milled about, searching the surrounding warehouses. They ducked into alleyways, overturned garbage bins and crates alike, combing through the entire district by the looks of it. The scene changed, doused in flashy lights and the clink of gambling chips. He shook his head as a ball of ice sank into his stomach.

 _‘Enemies, here!?’_ Oracle’s voice was a ghost in his mind, _‘It can’t be!’_

_‘An ambush!?’_

_‘Joker, can you handle this!?’_

It was just like the finale of Sae’s Palace, only so much worse. He was blindsided. This wasn’t some part of a plan, he couldn’t just hog the spotlight like last time. His friends-

_Mona!_

Joker balled his hands into fists at the startling realization. Was Mona okay? Was he captured? Joker’s heart rate spiked at the thought of these people throwing his partner in a cage.

 _“Stay calm, Trickster.”_ Arsene soothed his mind, _“An enemy who knows how to turn your emotions against you will be your downfall.”_

He nodded, and took a breath to slow his rabbiting heart.

 _“I’m sorry,”_ Kohryu growled, _“We were so focused on mastering the bond that I did not look outward for danger.”_

 _“Don’t blame yourself Old Boy,”_ Arsene said, _“It could’ve happened to any one of us. Let’s focus on our escape and discuss this later!”_

Joker gently pressed his hands against the window. It was old and grimy, dust and dirt muddled the glass. If he could just open it and get to the rooftops, then they would have a chance at escape. The ancient thing came loose without a sound, and relief swelled when it started to open. Then, the inevitable.

_Creeeeak._

Movement stilled below. Joker swore under his breath, the next moment the world was nothing but a blur as something wrapped around his ankle and yanked. He plummeted with grace and rolled into his landing, tailcoat flaring as he slid back. He followed the whip to Midnight.

“Freeze!”

_‘Capture him!’_

The police pointed their guns at him, the ones with riot shields closed in with predatory instinct. Joker stood and whipped out his weapons, alarms screamed through his nerves as he pointed his gun at Midnight, the barrel shaking.

_Rough hands grabbing at him, forcing him into the cold concrete. Footsteps approached as countless hands held him down._

_‘Hmph, didn’t expect some kid.’ A man roughly grabbed his hair and forced him to look up, ‘You have your teammate to thank for all of this. You were sold out.’_

Panic made his mind blank.

“Drop your weapon!” The nearest officer shouted, “Drop it or we’ll shoot!”

_‘Suspect confirmed. Cuff him!’_

“No, stand down!”

Midnight retracted her whip and walked closer, her footsteps the only sound over the strained breathing. Her eyes were so soft and warm as she came closer, her smile almost motherly. Hound Dog’s eyes bore into Joker, but he almost looked sad.

“I’m sorry, kiddo.” She said as she ripped her sleeve, “I’ll make this quick.”

Purple vapor poured from her skin, snaking across the ground towards him. The scent was sweet, like flowers in a summer wind. He grunted as dizziness came over him, dragging him down to one knee. He clutched his head as the police closed in.

_“Trickster-!”_

Arsene’s shout was drowned out as another slammed against his mind, bringing with it the fury of destruction and creation.

_“Summon me! Let me swallow this poison and return it a hundredfold! Hurry, lest we be undone!!”_

Joker wrenched this persona into existence. A chorus of startled cries echoed as a towering being, with blue skin and four arms, was brought into the world bathed in a cerulean blaze. His shuffling dance constant and eternal, within his four hands a different divine object. A spear, a metal ring, a horn, and a drum.

Joker chuckled, the manic sound was warped by panic.

The haziness drained away into crystal clarity, and he stood to his full height with Shiva at his back, still dancing. Azure flames turned Joker’s grin into a hellish image, his eyes a molten gold and alight with pure glee. Midnight’s eyes were wide, pupils mere pinpricks against the blinding light that silhouetted him, it splashed the walls with their dancing shadows. Shiva moved before anyone else recovered.

He leaned forward and opened his mouth, an unknowable wind pulled at the mist. Shiva swallowed the sweet fog, his throat gained a purple hue as he devoured the last tiny wisps, until there was nothing left. Then, with a benevolent smile, he exhaled. The sweet smelling mist flowed freely from Shiva’s mouth, turned into a thick violet smoke that choked the entire warehouse. Officers dropped their weapons, the gas cut straight through their masks and left them gasping for clean air.

They collapsed like a house of cards, one by one.

“Midnight, get back!” Hound Dog snarled, “You-!”

Hound Dog leapt for Joker, claws splayed. Shiva chuckled and stepped in front of Joker, throwing his divine instruments into the air with a flair of his hands. Hound Dog’s eyes widened as he was plucked from the air, three of Shiva’s hands holding him up by his wrists and neck. The hero snarled and floundered in his grasp, but Shiva breathed the last of the fumes in his face, until the hero slowly went limp.

Hound Dog was dropped with an undignified _thud_ , Shiva caught his instruments and resumed his dance. 

“No! I-it can’t be-!” Midnight fell to her knees, coughing, “Even my own quirk…?”

“Sorry.” Joker pulled at his gloves as the last officer collapsed, “You people really should’ve known better.”

He turned his back on her as she reached out to him.

“Wait, kid…!”

She finally fell, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. The warehouse was silent. Joker looked to the unmoving officers through the dark smog. His chest was still constricted, hands shaking as he sheathed his gun and shoved them in his pockets.

“Are they…?”

“Of course not, Trickster.” Shiva said, still locked in his eternal dance, “They’re not dead, but they will not be waking up anytime soon.”

“Thanks. I would’ve been toast without you.”

Shiva bowed his head, and then disappeared into nothingness.

 _“We need to fly!”_ Seth snarled, _“Leave this net behind or burn it to cinders!!”_

 _“Patience.”_ Kohryu’s eyes blazed crimson, _“Allow me to carry you to safety, Trickster.”_

_“Hmph, your nonexistent wings will have better luck against such odds! I’ll let you have this one, grandpa.”_

Joker smirked as his nerves finally settled.

This would not be like Sae’s Palace. This wasn’t the metaverse, this was a world where his other selves held _real_ power.

All of his personas had his back. Alice’s smile promised a painful death, Byakko and Cerberus bared their fangs and, for once, stood together. Ishtar’s wrath, that of a goddess of love scorned, intermingled with Arsene’s fury. Vasuki hissed next to the crackle of Titania’s ice and nuclear magic. Seth and Yatagarasu readied their wings. They were prepared to fight to the death for the Trickster’s freedom, a seeping bloodlust emanated from each and every one of them.

A grin split Joker’s face.

“Let’s give them the show of a lifetime, Kohryu.”

_“Come, little one. Let us fly together.”_

Purple smog masked the sheen of his golden scales as the great dragon slithered around the warehouse, careful not to crush any of the bodies beneath him. Joker hopped on, running up Kohryu’s spine until he reached the base of his neck, his horns were large enough to shield Joker’s entire body. Joker wrapped the silvery grapple wire around the middle horn, then tied it to his belt.

“Let’s go!”

“Hold on!” Kohryu cried.

A small burst of Kohryu’s power was all it took to cleanly blow the roof from the warehouse. The metal _crunched_ as it flew through the air, twirling around until it crashed somewhere in the harbor with a giant splash. Kohryu’s eyes glowed like red hot coals through the cloud of dust and remains of purple smoke, the ensemble of shrieks and strangled cries echoed around them. The golden dragon raised himself from the wreckage, beautiful and elegant, deadly and awe inspiring. His scales glinting in the bloody sunrise. Everything was locked within a single moment of silence and terror.

Then, Kohryu opened his great maw and roared.

It was like the sky split open, or the earth shifting on an unimaginable scale. The sound traveled across the city, shaking entire buildings and jolting even the heaviest sleepers from their beds. Water sloshed unnaturally, as if pushed back by the strength of it. Kohryu lunged through the air before anybody could recover, all crouched down with their hands clamped over their ears. A good few had passed out, bleeding from the ears.

_“I sense the Magician nearby!”_

Kohryu weaved through the sky like a ribbon in the wind. Joker dug around in his pockets as they neared another warehouse. Mona was puffed up, facing Eraserhead dead on. The hero shielded his face from the wind as they approached.

“Mona!!”

He shouted so loud his voice nearly gave out. Joker threw a flash grenade at Eraserhead as he tried to look up at them, the spark of blinding light made the man cry out in pain. Joker wasn’t in a forgiving mood to feel bad. Mona jumped when Kohryu flew over, aided by wind spells. He crashed into Joker’s open arms with a whimper, his eyes watery as Joker held him protectively to his chest. Dread was washed away by relief.

“I-I’m sorry! I let my guard down!” Mona trembled, “This is my fault!”

“Don’t blame yourself for this,” Joker said with a frantic shake of his head, “ _I_ led us here. I was the one who wanted to patrol too early and then practice with my personas. We should’ve gone home when we had the chance!”

“Joker!!”

They looked down to see Tsukauchi run after them. It was futile, and the giant rat on his shoulder gazed up at Kohryu with childish wonder, his mouth wide open and eyes practically sparkling with insane mirth. Tsukauchi’s face was ashen as he finally slowed to a stop, hopeless. They left them in the dust, but they were far from safe.

A pillar of flame cut off Kohryu, red and gold swirling up into the sky. Only one person was capable of pulling it off. The number two hero stood tall as the pillar died out, the flames around his body flaring in a challenge. Joker held Mona closer and huddled behind Kohryu’s horns.

Kohryu snarled as Alice’s power flickered deep within Joker.

 _“Kohryu,”_ Alice whispered sweetly, grinning from ear to ear, _“Show him no mercy.”_

Other heroes scrambled for cover as the massive dragon dove for the ground, deadly teeth bared. It was like a train derailing, ripping up concrete and sending choking clouds into the atmosphere. Mona screamed and Joker nearly lost his footing, but thankfully the grapple around Kohryu’s horn held.

Heat and bright light smothered them as Endeavor shot a stream of fire. Kohryu’s scales reflected the light, dotting entire streets in glorious speckled light. Endeavor sneered as the dragon was untouched, but he continued the onslaught even as chunks of concrete rained down without remorse. The flames tinged blue the moment before they collided, the flame hero was snatched up in the massive dragon’s jaws, grunting in pain when a fang pierced through his arm.

Kohryu wildly thrashed his head as Endeavor held the jaws open, his muscles strained under the pressure. The dragon finally reared up, soaring through the air as a trickle of blood dripped from his jaw. With one last wrenching movement, the hero was thrown. Joker only saw a burst of red fire in the distance as he lost visual of the hero altogether.

“Urrrp,” Mona gagged as Kohryu floated in the air, “Are we off this crazy roller coaster yet?”

Joker laughed, but other heroes were clambering after them. 

“Lacquered Chain Prison!”

The branches wrapped around Kohryu’s body, but they snapped like dry twigs when Kohryu thrashed his way to freedom. Joker looked just in time to see Kamui Woods being sprinkled with his own sawdust. Eyes glazed over in pain as his arms were reduced to splinters.

“You’ll pay for that!!”

Mount Lady rose in front of them, her hands reaching for Kohryu. Joker whipped out his gun and fired between Kohryu’s horns, missing her face but sacrificing a few strands of her hair. She shrieked and lost balance, tipping her massive body over a few of the warehouses. Kohryu took his chance. Joker huddled down with Mona as the dragon turned a quick circle, the end of his tail catching her face like a whip. The miniature army below scattered like rats as she fell, crushing the abandoned bits of metal.

 _“Is there no end to these pests!?”_ Arsene yelled.

Other forms clambered up to the rooftops and followed them. Snipe and several of Ectoplasm’s clones, a few of Endeavor’s sidekicks seeking revenge, others in ridiculous costumes they didn’t recognize, to name a few. Bullets and quirks whizzed around them in brilliant colors. Kohryu snarled as he bobbed and weaved through them all.

“Joker,” Mona said, “We need to lose them!”

“You think!?”

 _“Take my magic, Trickster!”_ Kohryu howled as he dodged the attacks, _“Show them the unified might of our bond!!”_

“Mona, use your wind magic at my signal!”

“Got it!!”

Joker reached into his pockets and the sky rained with Smoke Screens and Hypno Mists, peppering the air. Green winds mixed the two and the district was enveloped in the lethargic fog, it seeped from the rooftops and into the deeper reaches of the alleyways, any who were caught unawares felt drowsy. 

Joker then grasped onto the Sacred Shimenawa, allowing it’s power to flow through him, he grinned despite the mounting migraine. The taste of magic tinged the air until it warped reality, twisting into spirals of black and white, static buzzed in the heroes’ heads as psychedelic eyes appeared. Their minds were attacked when the eyes peered into their souls, those who were drowsy were rendered unconscious by the unbearable pain.

Joker released his hold over the bond as the attack ended, the world returned to normal and the hypnotic eyes faded. Joker shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. Mona wasted no time casting Mediarahan, and the headache faded. 

“This is our chance!” Mona yelled, “We need to go faster or they’ll recover!!”

Kohryu snarled as he picked up speed, lingering smoke streaming over his scales. If Seth’s wings brought thunderstorms, then Kohryu’s body generated winds with the power of a hurricane. Rusty walls crumpled under the force and police and heroes alike were bowled over, the staggered ones on the rooftops stood no chance.

“Go higher, Kohryu!” Joker shouted, “We don’t want any actual fatalities!”

Kohryu growled his affirmation and they flew closer to the gathering clouds.

“That’s admirable, young man!”

Joker’s heart lurched and he whirled around towards All Might, who followed close behind. The wind batted at his ridiculous bangs as he jumped between buildings with ease, as if the chaotic gales had no effect. He was so close that they could see his pearly smile.

“What took you so long, number one hero!?” Joker waved his arm, “I didn’t take you as one who’s fashionably late to the party!”

“Give it up, young man! I will have to ask you to surrender!” All Might’s voice boomed over the buffeting winds, “This will be your one and only warning, Joker! Don’t make me use force against you!”

“No thanks, _All Might!_ ” Joker hid his fear with a shaky smirk as he brought out a small container of red ointment, “Don’t you know that children should never be alone with a full-grown man in spandex!?”

The hero choked and almost crashed into the next building.

“D-don’t say I didn’t warn you, young man!”

Joker smeared a small dab of ointment on Kohryu. The cream melded with his scales and a red glimmer trailed across Kohryu’s serpentine body. All Might jumped, the concrete cracking under the force of the hero’s power. All Might’s shadow fell over them as he raised his fist, Kohryu didn’t bother dodging.

“CALIFORNIA SMAAASH!!”

All Might’s fist clashed against a transparent red barrier, inches from Joker’s face.

“Hey, have you ever gotten a taste of your own medicine?” Their eyes glowed like contrasting pyres, vibrant cerulean versus blazing gold, “I hope you can take what you dish out, hero.”

All Might opened his mouth, but he was batted away by an invisible force. A spew of crimson beads were lost to the raging sky as All Might plummeted back to the earth. The ground shook as another warehouse fell underneath the meteoric impact, the debris and new cloud of dust masked the deep crater. All Might didn’t emerge.

Joker snorted as they finally left the district and floundering heroes behind.

“That was close.” Mona whispered, “Did you use Physical Ointment?”

“Yup.” Joker tucked the container away, “It seems not even the number one hero can overpower a Tetrakarn. We’re not out of the woods yet, though!” 

_“Gruuuuaaaghh…”_

The heavens quivered at Kohryu’s growl. Warm sunlight was drained from the sky by a blanket of swirling black clouds. Kohryu shifted course into the heart of the city, where citizens froze in the streets and gaped up at the ginormous gold dragon, whose radiant scales contrasted the dark sky, a bright sun banishing the darkness. Some fell on their behinds, mouths wide open. A few were locked in place by overwhelming fear, limbs shaking. One soul kneeled down with her hands grasped in frantic prayer, ignorant of the shouts around her. Traffic came to a terrifying stop as people scrambled out of their cars to watch. Several phones recorded this cosmic event.

The dragon slowed a stop, hovering over an apartment building.

 _“Get to safety, little one.”_ Kohryu said as he lowered his head to the rooftop.

“What about you?”

Kohryu’s power surged through their bond. Four orbs, each a different color and burning bright like stars, appeared in Kohryu’s claws.

_“I shall be a distraction! Go, while the remainder of their forces are concentrated on me!”_

Joker unlatched the grapple and jumped from Kohryu’s back with Mona in his arms, but he looked up at the dragon with a troubled expression.

“Be careful, okay?”

One of Kohryu’s whiskers gently brushed his arm.

 _“Hah! We have the might to move all of creation!!”_ Kohryu raised his head and soared back into the sky, _“These humans are the one who should be careful, they shall tremble before my true power!!”_

“J-Joker, let’s go!” Mona said, “We don’t want to stick around here!”

Joker shifted his weight, he stared up at Kohryu for a few more seconds before breaking out in a sprint.

 _“Gruuuuaaaagghhhh!”_

A burst of light accompanied Kohryu’s roar, like a flash of lightning without thunder. An unimaginable well of magic cascaded through their bond as Concentrate sparked across Kohryu’s body, the storm gained overwhelming strength. Sheets of rain stung their faces as the world was drenched with a sudden deluge. The blackened clouds were as dark as the night sky, weaving together a typhoon that grew over the city.

Kohryu’s unrivaled eyes shown through the blackness, the quick flashes of lightning silhouetted his body floating serenely within the tumultuous clouds. Meanwhile, Joker threw himself down a fire escape. Sopping wet, he jumped down to the alleyway below, his colorful footsteps painting the growing puddles of water.

“J-Joker…”

Mona huddled into the crook of his neck.

“We’ll be fine!” Water sprayed around them as he slid into another alley, “We’re almost home free!”

Rain tapped against his coat and his hair stuck to his forehead like glue. The strength of Kohryu’s growls hounded the city and reverberated within his own chest, his heart pounding with fresh adrenaline. Screams echoed across the city as people bolted for cover, but he had no time to worry about the stabs of guilt.

Kohryu flew in circles inside the eye of the storm, it was as if he was churning it himself. Another dragon flew up, her body outlined by blue lightning and the crackle of thunder, valiant wings splayed and fangs at the ready. Kohryu never saw her passenger as he batted her away with the back of his hand, but she folded her wings and dove under the attack, splashed with the orbs’ light. Kohryu shifted his attention on her, another battle cry shook the city.

Joker felt an odd pressure in the back of his skull, but he brushed the feeling aside and pounded down another barren alleyway. He slid to a stop and peeked around a flooding street. Mona took a shaky breath and closed his eyes.

“It’s clear!” Mona whispered.

Nodding, he burst out of the darkness and into the roadway. He payed no mind to the ankle deep water as they crossed the street and dove into another alley. Where should they go? Back to the Nest? They weren’t too far away, though Kaito would no doubt be in a sour mood when they got back.

The pressure in his head travelled down his spine and into his chest, the raw strength flowing between he and Kohryu began to wane. It wasn’t until they were in the next alleyway that Joker knew something was off. Kohryu’s power was being erased, broken off into slivers and vanishing like an iceberg into the sea.

 _“Kohryu, you’ve done enough!”_ Mona gave him an odd look as he slowed into a jog, face pale, _“You should come back now!”_

_“No, Trickster. You’ve not yet gotten to safety!”_

Their bond, this Sacred Shimenawa that tied them together, was being frayed, straw by straw. Unbeknownst to either as Kohryu’s mighty roars sang through the city streets. Kohryu forced more magic into the storm, the cutting winds and whipping rain blinded any who dare approach on foot, but the pest dragon was sticking close to the sunbeams bleeding in through the eye. Darting around like an impudent fly.

_“I shall not stop until-”_

The pest dragon ducked her head as she approached. Liquid ruby clashed with glowing crimson, the gaze of a man with silver scarves and the burning eyes of a dragon god met dead in the center. A heartbeat, then-

_Snap._

Joker cried out in pain as Kohryu’s harrowing wail trembled the entire city, then went dead silent.

“H-hey!” Mona was flung from Joker’s shoulder as he lurched to a stop, “What’s wrong!?”

Others screamed within Joker’s psyche as Kohryu plummeted into the mindscape like a falling star. The thunderous crash overwhelmed their cries as the dragon’s body settled, unmoving. Unnaturally still like a river of gold.

 _“Kohryu!!”_ Arsene howled, but his voice was oddly muffled. 

His costume was ripped away and Akira felt a warm wetness trailing down his face, the excruciating pain spread across his body and burrowed into his soul like a parasite, he clutched his heart as if there were a knife through it. Something inside of him was fractured. Broken and _wrong_. He gasped as he clutched his pounding head, colors drained away from his blurred vision and the blindsiding dizziness brought him to his knees.

“Akira, talk to me!”

Mona’s smudged form paced in front of him, going dead still as Akira finally looked up at his partner. Akira couldn’t hold against the pain any longer, and he collapsed face first into the damp concrete.

“Hey! This is no time to be sleeping!”

Mona rounded on him, eyes flooding with tears as he saw the blood raining from Akira’s eyes, nose, and mouth. He recoiled as the horror of Okumura’s death sprang to his mind. Mona shook his head and headbutted Akira’s damp hair.

“Akira, please! Wake up!!”

The not-cat turned a small, nervous circle when Akira didn’t move.

“O-Oh! Uh, Mediarahan!”

A gentle green glimmer did nothing, only slowed the bleeding.

“S-Samarecarm!?”

Light spilled into the alley as the flowering vines curled around Akira’s body, but they and the butterfly shattered like glass. He still didn’t move. True fear gutted him like an ice cold blade. Mona shook Akira’s shoulder with his paws.

 _“Magician, you waste time!”_ Mercurius shouted, _“Go get help!”_

“Yes, help! Hold on, Akira!”

Mona sniffled as he forced himself to turn and run, leaving his partner in the rain. Nobody witnessed the tiny black shape flying through the streets aided by bursts of wind, but whether it was seconds or several minutes that had passed, he didn’t know. It was all a blur through the tears. Finally, the Raven’s Nest came into view.

Kaito fell out of his chair as the door nearly bent inwards by a gust of wind. Frantic scratching and mewls came from the other side. Kaito fixed his glasses and rushed to the entrance. He cursed as a small figure darted inside and he shoved the door shut with a heaving sigh, papers and knick knacks from his desk were blown over. His floor was soaked.

“Morgana?” He eyed the sopping wet cat, “What the _hell_ is going on? The whole city is on lockdown and freaking out over that dragon! It’s already all over the news-”

“It’s Akira! He…. he….!”

Kaito froze as he looked Mona in the eyes and relived his most recent memories.

“What happened!? What did you two _do_?”

“He’s hurt! Please, you have to help!”

Kaito stiffened, then nodded as he reached for the door, “Let’s go, we don’t have time for chit chat.”

“R-right!”

Mona turned and ran back out into the wall of rain. Kaito stilled his shaking hands as he hovered before the open door, he threw on his jacket and braved the downpour. He was soaked in seconds, the cold wind cut through his clothes. Kaito couldn’t see much as water built up on his glasses, but he was locked on Mona’s blurry trail. They passed several streets, Kaito would need to buy new shoes if not new lungs first, which burned just as bad as his legs.

“W-wait up!” He called as the cat rushed into the alley.

Kaito leaned on the icy cold wall, panting.

“W-well?” Kaito asked as he stared at a scarily stiff Morgana, “Where to next?”

“He…” The cat turned to him, tears freely flowing, “He was right here….”

Kaito inhaled sharply, eyes blown wide. He dragged himself from the wall and knelt next to Morgana, petting his head in soothing motions.

“We’ll find him,” He picked up the trembling cat and forced himself to his feet, “Either he or whoever found him can’t have gone too far in this crazy weather.”

Morgana sniffled and held back a sob. Kaito scanned around the alleyway for clues, his stomach churned at the small puddle of blood being washed away by the rain. He shook his head and compelled himself to stay calm, if not for himself, then for the frightened feline huddled to his chest. He had to focus.

After all, he had his injured kid to find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well....
> 
> I was being quite literal when I said there would be a storm :D
> 
> Feel free to scream at me in the discord server!
> 
> https://discord.gg/xhaN8YF


	30. Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoo Boy

Cracked, like a broken mirror, voices spoke in hushed murmurs.

“Is he…?”

“No, he can’t be!”

“This is impossible!”

“Why did this happen?”

“What about the Trickster? He’s hurt, too!”

“Grandpa!!”

“Alice, wait!” Arsene reached out for her, but she ducked under his hand, “It might not be safe!”

Alice skipped over the shattered remains and hovered beside Kohryu’s head.

“Grandpa!” She said as she put her tiny hands on his snout, “Hey, wake up!”

Arsene rushed to her side, his smoldering eyes scanned over the dragon. Kohryu lay dead still, the ground around him was fractured, raised and fragmented like a canyon. The gleam of his once golden scales were muted, a sickly yellow. Darkness permeated the mindscape once more, the twilight was snuffed out like a candle. Something dark swirled around in Arsene’s chest as he stared down at Kohryu. It was a wicked blade of wrath, scalding hot as it sank into his heart and set his blood ablaze.

“Ishtar! Titania!” He called, “Can you do something?”

The two approached, each floating on either side of Kohryu’s head. Ishtar paled as she ran her hands down the dragon’s neck, Titania’s brow was pinched.

“I’ll use Mediarahan-”

“No! I should use Salvation!”

“Why? He doesn’t have any ailments as far as I can tell!”

“Better to be extra safe, no? This isn’t some tiny wound that can be cured with your weak magic!”

“You harlot, you just want to-”

_“Enough!”_

The mindscape shook under the pressure of Arsene’s fury, sprouting a fantastic geyser behind him. Blue flames mixed with black and red tendrils, weaving around Arsene in a cursed dance, spreading its unholy light across the mindscape. Smoke fumed from his mask as his facial markings burned with red-hot lava. The other personas jumped back to avoid the smothering aura, Ishtar and Titania froze, wide-eyed. Alice whimpered as real tears flooded her eyes.

At this moment, he wasn’t just Arsene.

His power was entangled with theirs as the true sovereign, the Trickster’s genuine other self. The other personas lowered their heads in fidelity, too frightened or astonished to meet his eyes. After a moment the light died down, though his fury thrummed in a steady beat.

“We will not argue over petty little things during this crisis!” He said, wings splayed like a stretch of midnight sky, “The Trickster and Kohryu are injured beyond measure. We must be united, otherwise the Trickster could sustain permanent damage to his soul. Now, Ishtar, Titania, what do you-”

There was a sudden spike of energy. Kohryu’s crimson eyes shot open, but madness clouded them.

Arsene lunged to grab Alice under his arm, his wings wrapped around Titania and Ishtar. He jumped back as Kohryu’s snarls shook the mindscape like a mighty earthquake. The dragon reared up and howled a war cry, the swipe of his claw was lightning fast, Arsene was not swift enough to dodge it amongst the others’ screams.

Titania cried out as Kohryu’s claws ripped through Arsene’s wing, a spray of colors accompanied Arsene’s hiss.

“Kohryu, calm yourself!” Arsene shouted through the pain, “It is I, Arsene! You are safe!!”

“A-Arsene...?” Kohryu staggered and lost balance, crashing back onto the floor, “How did I…?”

“Arsene, your wing!” Ishtar paled when she saw the damage.

Magnificent feathers fell from the twitching limb as blood dripped like fresh rainfall. It wasn’t the blood of a human, this ichor was as multicolored and vivid as the Trickster’s footsteps. Titania and Ishtar moved as Arsene fell to one knee, gently setting Alice on the ground.

“Y-you…” Alice stared at the shredded wing in horror, “You protected us. You’re hurt!”

“I’ll be fine,” He said as Ishtar and Titania’s magic soothed the pain, “Kohryu, what happened to you?”

Kohryu laid his head down, exhausted. Guilt struck him and he looked away from Arsene, his blood-stained claws knotting into a fist.

“My deepest apologies. I…I lost myself.” Kohryu took a breath, it swept through the mindscape in a hot wind, “I was almost done with the storm, the Trickster was so close to getting away from those treacherous wretches. There was this other dragon, nothing more than a pest, but…”

“But what?” Arsene asked.

“There was another upon it’s back, and my power was erased as I gazed into his eyes. The pain was too great to bare.”

Kohryu growled, and there was a shift in the mindscape. A Shimenawa, his soul bond to the Trickster, appeared in front of Kohryu. The other personas gasped at the damage. A single strand held the two pieces together, frayed and so close to snapping.

“The man you’re talking about, was it Eraserhead? Was it his power that did this to you?”

“Indeed. If I were a mere moment later in throwing myself into the Trickster’s mind,” Kohryu muttered, “Then the bond would have been broken, and I…. I believe I would’ve perished.”

Silence. Arsene slowly stood as his wing was finally mended, though some of his feathers were missing or frayed. Titania hugged a crying Alice, Ishtar backed away to give them space. Alarm shot through Kohryu as he sensed Arsene’s mounting wrath.

“The Trickster!” He said, “What of the Trickster!?”

“He is unconscious.” Arsene growled, “And I dare not force a manifestation right now, not when his soul is in such a fragile state. Get some rest, Kohryu.”

“But-”

“No,” Arsene held a clawed hand up, “This is not up for debate, Old Boy. You need to recover, both for your own health and the Trickster’s.”

Kohryu blinked, then nodded. He laid his head down and closed his crimson eyes, the exhaustion put him to sleep on the spot. The others surrounded the sleeping dragon, their bonds alight with various emotions. Arsene curled his hands into fists as his fury peaked once more, dousing the entire mindscape with his power. Growls and snarls and shouts followed in a song of rage, they stared up at Arsene with no small amount of vengeance in their eyes.

“That man almost _killed_ Kohryu, shattered the Trickster’s very soul,” Arsene’s voice reached all as he spread his arms and sore wings, “Such an act is _unforgivable_! Is this understood?”

“He hurt master!” Cerberus bellowed, “He cannot be forgiven!”

“Hee ho!” Black Frost grinned and bounced on his heels, “Let me-hee bury him in a glacier, ho!”

“I shall drown him in a sea of filth,” Vasuki hissed, “That I promise.”

“I’m not opposed to pecking out his eyes,” Yatagarasu said with a graceful nod.

Seth growled and snapped his jaws together, “Or let me feast on his flesh! Break his bones like twigs!”

“No,” Alice wiped away her tears, her eyes glowing with malice, “Let us revel in his slow death. It’s nothing more than he deserves for hurting Big Brother like this.”

“But we cannot,” Titania let go of Alice and floated to Arsene’s side, putting her hand on his arm, “We cannot kill this wretched human, even if my hand also wants to strike. It would put the Trickster in even more danger.”

Alice pouted.

Arsene took a moment to think through the haze of rage.

“... Very well.” Smoke billowed from Arsene as he took a deep breath, “His death is forbidden by our hands, but it doesn’t mean that his trespass upon the Trickster will be forgotten!”

They howled their agreement. It was as clear as day.

If Eraserhead ever approached the Trickster again, they would make him wish he were never born.

~*~*~*~

****[Haxxor]** **

_You’re in trouble mister!!_

_YOU HAD ANOTHER DRAGON AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME??_

_Don’t think that your newest little stunt isn’t all over the news! And you broke your promise again, you liar! People are going nuts over all of the heroes involved and the damage across the city!_

~ _1 missed call_

…

…

****[Haxxor]** **

_Answer me or I swear to all that is holy, I’ll have you make so much curry that it’ll take you years to recover from it!!_

…

…

_~ 3 missed calls_

****[Haxxor]****

_Hey, this isn’t funny anymore! Pick up your darn phone!!_

_There’s weird interference all over Musutafu because of that freak storm! Please tell me that you’re not responcible for it?_

_Akira???_

…

…

_~ 6 missed calls._

~*~*~*~

Aizawa sighed in relief when his feet finally landed on solid ground.

Ryukyu shifted back into her human form, shaking her head as if to clear it.

Rain pelted them and the sky was still pitch black, the raging typhoon barreled on without the dragon’s cries. The eye of the storm was above them, ironic how the sunlight hit U.A. Ryukyu hissed in pain and rubbed at her temple.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just a headache.” Ryukyu muttered, “I felt weird. It’s just, this whole thing feels strange.”

Aizawa raised a brow, “You felt it too?”

An immense pain stabbed into his head when he erased that dragon’s power, the pain had ebbed a little, but now a strange static prickled across his scalp and down his spine, swam around his heart like a lurking shark. This was the first major drawback he’d experienced with erasing a quirk, not including his dry eyes. It threw him off. He felt as if he had done something… terrible. 

“When you erased that dragon…” She looked him straight in the eye, her expression unreadable, “I felt nothing but pain in it’s final moments. That scream was… it was horrible, wasn’t it? I don’t know if it was some mental connection with me since I was in my dragon form. Just thinking about that sound makes me shiver.”

Aizawa hummed, “It was weird.”

“Not just that.” She turned to look up at the sky, where the massive dragon was, “When we were up there, every instinct I had told me to flee. Like I was just an ant against a god, but that’s the funny thing. I think I recognize that dragon.”

“What?”

“It had to be none other than the yellow dragon, Huanglong. Or, as he’s known in Japan, Kohryu.”

Aizawa furrowed his brow, she turned back to him, face fallen in shock.

“But that’s impossible. No quirk should be able to control an _actual_ _god_ from mythology.” Her brow pinched together, “I thought the other reports about Joker’s creatures were exaggerated, now I’m having doubts.” 

He opened his mouth to respond when his phone went off. Eraserhead scowled, but he answered when he saw the familiar number.

“Tsukauchi, please tell me you have the kid in custody.”

 _“...No, but I have other news.”_ Tsukauchi sighed, _“Reports are flooding in across the city. Whatever is left of the police force and heroes are being redirected to help civilians and get a total on the damage caused by all of this, but they are delayed by the storm. Most of them are being sent to the hospital for their injuries.”_

“I knew this would be a disaster.” Eraserhead swore under his breath, “Anything else?”

_“Well, few small teams are searching the city for Joker, but I doubt they’ll be successful. Nezu is at the station, he wanted to look through the cameras but any footage has been corrupted or lost altogether.”_

“That’s not good news, detective.”

_“Right now, there is no good news. We’ve failed.”_

“Yeah, no shit we failed! I told Midnight not to do anything stupid, and she goes right in without me! We would’ve had him if I were there!” He took a breath as Ryukyu furrowed her brows, “Sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted like that.”

 _“It’s fine.”_ Tsukauchi sighed, _“Though you might not be able to stay mad at her. She, Hound Dog, and the squad that went in the warehouse are in the hospital, all of them unconscious. We won’t know what exactly went down until one of them wakes up.”_

“I… see.”

_“Look, we need to regroup. You want to meet up at the station?”_

“Fine.” 

_“Are you alright?”_

“Just peachy. You heard it, right? I’m sure over half the city heard that dragon’s final cry. Ryukyu said that she felt like it was in pain during its last moments. I felt something weird with my quirk too.” There was a moment of silence, “I can’t shake this feeling that something’s wrong with the kid.”

_“If…. If Joker is injured or if something did go wrong, then we’ll find him. It’s only a matter of time now that we know he’s been staying in Musutafu.”_

“I know. I’ll go ahead and meet you at the station.”

He hung up, shoving his phone in his pocket with a sigh. Aizawa glanced over at Ryukyu, who was talking softly on her communicator, after a few moments she hung up.

“I’ll make a full report on Kohryu later. Right now I’ll be joining my intern on the search for Joker,” She said as she turned towards him, “Figured they could use a few eyes in the sky. You want a ride to the station?”

Aizawa turned green, “No, I’ll walk. I wanted to patrol around for him on the way, just in case the other team misses something. You sure you should fly in this weather?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve flown in worse conditions. Not one for flying, eh?” She said with a sharp grin, “Suit yourself, Eraser.”

He shielded his eyes as she transformed, her wings beating down on him as she rose off into the sky. Aizawa watched her soar into the drizzling rain for a few moments, frowning. A shiver went down his spine when he was finally alone, scratching at his stubble.

Deep down, he knew something was wrong.

He’s never gotten such sharp pain when using his quirk before, and staring into the dragon’s eyes was surreal. It was an ancient power, something that transcended humans. A being that no simple quirk should ever control. He was sure of it. He shook off another shiver and buried his face in his scarf, turning towards the dark, drenched city.

If anything bad happened to the kid, he knew it would be his fault.

~*~*~*~

Shoto and Fuyumi were paralyzed, eyes unbelievably wide as they scrolled through their phones.

Videos, discussions, theories, and outrage poured out from across the country. They had heard everything in the safety of their own house, Shoto was startled awake by the great dragon’s cries, at first he thought it was an earthquake or a villain attack. The storm continued, howling winds and rain tapped incessantly at the windows. Shoto's knuckles were bone white as he clutched his phone, he strained to keep his breathing stable. It was no wonder why father suddenly rushed out late in the night without so much as a word.

Shoto glanced towards the kitchen, where Natsuo paced while he whispered into the phone.

“Joker will be okay. He probably got away.” Fuyumi said, “They would’ve announced it if he had been arrested. You know how the media can be.”

He simply nodded, not trusting his voice. His heart thundered in his ears and a swell of anger swirled around in his chest. Just the damage to the abandoned part of town was enough evidence of the Hero Commission’s foolishness. Musutafu was trying to calculate the estimated damage, but it was near impossible with the _literal hurricane_ outside. It still raged on, despite the dragon’s sudden disappearance.

“Hey!” Natsuo burst into the room, “So Hina just got back to me, she says that the petition is now live! Just in time too, huh?”

Shoto nodded and stared at his phone, “Send it to me, I’ll share it with Iida.”

“Got it!”

“I’ll do what I can,” Fuyumi said, “I have a few people who can spread it around, too.”

Shoto scrolled back through the chat room between himself, Midoriya, and Iida.

****[Ingenium]** **

_I’m sure you’re already heard, and I’ve also taken the liberty to share it with the 1-A chat room, but today’s classes have been canceled due to the storm and the appearance of Joker’s golden dragon._

_It’s quite possible that classes might be canceled for the rest of the week._

****[Deku]** **

_I know, I saw it in person!! The dragon hovered over our building for a minute!_

_I wish you guys could’ve seen it! It was so huge!!_

****[Ingenium]** **

_What!?_

_Are you alright!? No damage or anything?_

****[Deku]** **

_No, we’re fine!_

_My mom was scared for a little bit, but we stayed inside!_

_I’m worried more about Joker though, has the news said anything?_

****[Ingenium]** **

_I’m not sure. My brother is keeping an eye on things, he’ll let us know if anything happened._

_I do find it strange that it just vanished though._

****[Deku]** **

_I know._

_Do you guys think that Aizawa-sensei was in on the raid?_

_If Joker’s dragon vanished without a trace like this…_

_It’s the only conclusion I can come up with._

****[Ingenium]** **

_It’s likely possible._

_Tensei said that All Might and Endeavor were there, Ryukyu too. As well as a bunch of smaller agencies. I feel like the U.A. staff, Aizawa-sensei especially, would be valuable for something like this._

****[Deku]** **

_Yeah…_

_I hope they didn’t hurt him._

_That last roar sounded so sad._

****[Peppermint]** **

_I won’t forgive Aizawa if he intentionally caused Joker any pain._

****[Ingenium]** **

_In this situation I’m sure he had no choice, right?_

_If anything, I don’t believe Aizawa-sensei would cause harm on purpose! That wouldn’t sit well with him, and as his students, we should believe in him!_

****[Deku]** **

_I don’t like it either, but I agree with Iida._

_What really worries me is All Might and Endeavor might have been injured?_

****[Ingenium]** **

_I’m sure they are alright! They are the number one and two heroes after all!!_

****[Peppermint]** **

_Endeavor is fine, he had a minor injury and will be released from the hospital later today, I’m sure it’s the same for All Might._

****[Deku]** **

_Yeah…_

_I just can’t help but worry for everyone involved, you know?_

_Between Joker’s radio silence and the ongoing storm, then all of those heroes and civilians that got injured._

_I don’t know which side to be on._

****[Peppermint]** **

_The heroes dug their own grave._

_I don’t think Joker was intentionally trying to cause any harm, he had every right to defend himself against that ridiculous raid. They overstepped big time._

****

****[Deku]** **

_Well, when you put it like that…_

****[Ingenium]** **

_It is a touchy subject to be sure._

_There might not be a wrong or right side to this._

****[Peppermint]** **

_Maybe._

_Anyway, the petition just went live._

_Iida, can you send it to your brother right away?_

****[Ingenium]** **

_Yes!!_

_We’ll make sure it reaches the right people!_

Shoto sent the link to both this chat room and the one for Class 1-A, all of whom were freaking out over the storm. The petition already had over 100 signatures. Shoto looked up and nodded to his brother, who grinned back. They refreshed the page a minute later, now over 150 signatures and rising.

“Now what?” Fuyumi asked.

“Now we wait,” Natsuo said, “Hina and I will manage all of the technical bits, so don’t you guys worry. I can’t wait to see how many we get!”

“I hope this works.” Shoto muttered as he stared at his phone, watching the 1-A chat go haywire.

“It will!” Natsuo walked over to the window, staring up at the rain and swirling clouds, “It has to.”

“I’ll make breakfast while we wait.” Fuyumi stood from the couch, smiling softly at Shoto, “Or should we just have some tea and cold soba?”

Shoto nodded, and they all went into the kitchen together. 

They rode out the storm, eating cold soba while Natsuo made jokes, as word of the petition traveled like wildfire.

~*~*~*~

_22 missed calls._

~*~*~*~

“I can’t believe he was in Musutafu this whole time,” Aizawa said as he scratched his stubble, “Right under our noses. We should’ve seen it, since Silver Falcon was his first target.”

“Hindsight is always 20/20.” Tsukauchi muttered.

“Indeed!” Nezu chirped from behind his laptop, “The boy played us all like fiddles! Even for one such as myself, to have the wool pulled over my eyes… It’s quite marvelous. Exciting, even!”

“You’re not helping, Nezu.” Aizawa glared, “And why the hell did you bring that stuffed fish here?”

Aizawa glanced at the chair next to Nezu. In it sat the giant red plush, it’s button eyes staring at nothing and everything. It creeped Aizawa out, even more so now that the rat had started bringing it _everywhere_. And he gave the fish a bow-tie.

A _bow-tie._

“Why not?” Nezu peeked up from the screen, grinning, “How else is Admiral Feesh supposed to learn? The best lessons are imparted by such chaotic environments, Aizawa.”

“You… you named the fish.” Tsukauchi snorted, “Why am I not surprised?”

Aizawa rolled his eyes and decided to ignore them.

They stood over a table in the police station. People were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, another table was lined with officers, the trill of ringing phones was constant. Behind them were multiple cork boards.

One with an intricate map of Musutafu, covered in a variety of stickers. Red for obliterated structures and buildings, those were mostly in the abandoned districts. Yellow dotted most of it, showcasing minor damage to shops and apartment buildings. A swath of blue to show the flooding in the harbor and Dagobah Beach. And finally, green. Green was the eye of the storm, centered mostly around U.A. and the untouched surrounding streets.

The amalgamation of colors replicated the radar perfectly.

Aizawa didn’t bother looking at any of the other boards, covered with pictures of all of the heroes and officers who were at the raid. Most of them were in the hospital. He glanced over Midnight and Hound Dog’s pictures, grimacing. He shook his head and looked at Tsukauchi.

“I thought you said the chief was here,” Aizawa grabbed the cup of stale coffee in front of him, “But I don’t see him anywhere.”

“Oh,” Tsukauchi looked up from one of the reports, “He’s on the phone with the board director of the Hero Commission.”

Aizawa raised a brow, “And how’s that going?”

“Well….” Tsukauchi waved his hand, “See for yourself.”

Aizawa and Nezu looked into the window of an office. The Chief of Police was pacing back and forth, expression downright _murderous_ as he spoke on the phone. It was no small miracle that the device wasn’t crushed in his grip.

“I’m just glad that the room is soundproof.” Tsukauchi said, “Otherwise his shouting would be louder than all of these ringing phones.”

“They deserve it though.”

“I know.” Tsukauchi sighed as another officer left a heaping pile of reports on the table, and was gone just as fast, “We warned them, and this is what it comes to for them to listen.”

Nezu chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, Aizawa!” Nezu said, “I’m having no luck with the cameras, so I shall be writing a letter to the Hero Commission! They deserve a proper scolding on multiple fronts. And this shall provide us with a _unique_ opportunity, I would hate to miss out on such an occasion.”

Aizawa raised a brow, “What kind of opportunity?”

“You’ll find out eventually. It’ll be glorious, that I promise!”

They didn’t like the look in Nezu’s eyes, so they didn’t ask.

Tsukauchi shuffled the paperwork, “I don’t even feel sorry for them anymore.”

Aizawa scowled. He tapped his foot as Tsukauchi sorted through more paperwork, Nezu typed away on his laptop, grinning like the feral mouse he was.

Aizawa’s little patrol around the block ended up with nothing, zip, zero, _zilch._ Not a tiny inkling as to where Joker vanished to. Again. It was the same for Ryukyu’s team, who were still out there searching. The guilt swirled around his stomach, more powerful than the hurricane outside. He was about to turn and get back into the storm, when an officer rushed to their table, looking pale.

“Akane?” Tsukauchi said, brows furrowed, “What is it?”

“Did they find Joker?” Aizawa asked, straightening.

“No, but you should see this, sir.”

Aizawa and Tsukauchi exchanged a quick glance, then followed Akane to the front desk. Nezu hopped down from his chair and clambered atop Aizawa’s shoulder. A few other officers and secretaries were gathered around a computer. None other than Demizu Mika was on screen.

“Turn up the volume!” Tsukauchi said as he swiped up a pen and notepad.

_“-ition gained rapid notoriety after Team Idaten’s announcement, a call for the Hero Public Safety Commission to rescind Joker’s 25 million yen bounty. It’s spread to people across Japan, gaining no less than 5,000 signatures ten minutes after the former hero, Ingenium, made his statement to the media, and that number is skyrocketing into the tens of thousands. A growing number of heroes, including Best Jeanist and Miruko, have also signed it.”_

Aizawa cursed under his breath and ran a hand down his face, Tsukauchi went pale as his pen hovered over his pad. Nezu shook in excitement. The others around them shifted on their feet as the screen changed, showing multiple videos of the brilliant golden dragon flying across the city.

 _“Many citizens, especially those currently caught up in the storm raging over Musutafu, say that such damage to the city could have been avoided if it weren’t for that bounty. Reports indicate that All Might, Endeavor, several smaller agencies, and police in riot gear were part of the manhunt. A majority of public favor falls to Joker, many saying that the vigilante was simply defending himself against such staggering odds…”_ She trailed off, brows furrowed as reached for her ear, _“This just in. We’ll now go live to a scene in Akihabara, where a crowd has gathered, protesting the Hero Commission’s-”_

Tsukauchi’s phone began to ring. Aizawa followed the detective as he picked it up.

“Toshinori, you're awake!”

Aizawa breathed another sigh of relief, Nezu’s ears flicked. That blonde buffoon took a nasty hit, it was no small miracle that some of the U.A. staff found him first, and secretly transported him to the hospital.

“I made it out unscathed. Eraser and Nezu are with me, too.” Tsukauchi’s shoulders sank, and he rubbed at his eyes, “No, you _stay_ in the hospital. You’re injured! There’s nothing for you to do here, anyway. None of our teams have found anything significant, and I don’t want you to be out there right now. Alright, I’ll update you in case anything else happens.”

Tsukauchi hung up, a sudden weight sank in his shoulders.

“Recovery Girl would murder him if he were out and about already,” Aizawa droned, “I don’t think he could escape the hospital in that condition anyway.”

“No kidding.” Tsukauchi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Nezu hopped down and whipped out his phone, that demon’s grin plastered on his face. Aizawa looked over the mouse’s shoulder, then stiffened.

“Nezu, don’t you _dare_.”

The rat had the gall to stare them straight in the eye as he pressed enter.

“Too late! I have officially signed the petition! I’ll be sure to have Admiral Feesh sign it as well!”

Aizawa and Tsukauchi exchanged glances, the former’s eye twitched.

“Is there any coffee left?” Tsukauchi said, deflated, “This is going to be a _long_ day.”

“I don’t think anybody could function without coffee right now,” Aizawa said as they made for the break room, “It still tastes like crap, but it’ll keep us going.”

Tsukauchi snorted at that. A cackling Nezu was left behind, the haunting sound was cut off as Aizawa shut the door.

They poured cups of caffeine sludge and chugged it down. Tsukauchi wrinkled his nose in disgust, but he poured himself another cup. Aizawa’s mind drifted to a certain cafe as the horrid taste lingered on his tongue, he wondered if both his students and Akane weren’t just exaggerating about that cafe’s coffee. They should visit once this chaotic mess settles down.

Any other coffee could be better than this garbage.

~*~*~*~

Shigaraki was _livid._

Seething anger pulsed through his veins as the announcement ended, Demizu Mika’s annoying voice faded into the background. That petition was stupid! Why was it getting so much attention!? Why were all of these people in such an outrage? What, just because Joker summoned a dragon and got away from the stupid heroes. Though he would admit that he thought the dragon was _so_ cool…

He shook his head and glared, his anger rearing like a serpent.

Kurogiri warped his hand away as he lunged for the television.

“You can just ask to have it muted, Shigaraki Tomura.” Kurogiri said as he silenced the TV, “That would’ve been the fifth one we’ve had to replace just this month.”

“Ooh. You’re awfully mad, Shiggy!”

Himiko Toga swung her legs back and forth from her place on the bar, much to Kurogiri’s ire. She had a half-finished popsicle stick in her hand, though not even Shigaraki’s harsh glare stopped her from finishing it.

“Of course I’m mad!” He stomped back and forth, scratching at his neck, “This secret boss is stealing all of the limelight! Who even mentions the League Of Villains anymore, huh!? Nobody!! It’s not fair!”

Himiko devoured the rest of the ice cream, “Just let him.”

Shigaraki stilled, slowly turning towards her. Kurogiri’s body flickered, ready to divert a confrontation should it come to that. Shigaraki’s hands twitched as he glared at her, eyes like hot coals.

“What?”

“ _Let_ him take the spotlight.” Himiko’s cat-like eyes glowed as she grinned, holding out her bare popsicle stick, “Let him rise up and up and up.”

She raised the popsicle stick towards the ceiling, her grin twisting into a nightmarish leer.

“Let him get comfortable in his newfound fame, let him bask in it. Let people follow him like lost puppies.” The popsicle stick creaked, “Then when he reaches his peak…”

_Crack._

She dropped the broken stick with an insane grin.

“That’s when we strike. We’ll take him down and have the public _know_ who stole their beloved little vigilante from them, and raise the League of Villain’s name with it!”

Shigaraki widened his eyes. Kurogiri was silent, staring at the manic, grinning girl in shock. Shigaraki glanced over at Dabi, who was seated at the other end of the bar, hovering over an untouched drink.

“What do you think of all this?”

Dabi looked up to the television. His eyes flashed with some invisible emotion, carefully concealed underneath a stoic mask.

“I don’t really care.” Dabi huffed, staring into his glass, “I don’t give a damn as long as the brat doesn’t get in the way of my goals.”

Toga giggled as Shigaraki rolled his eyes.

“I have to admit,” Kurogiri said, “That’s not a bad plan. Giran said he may have found someone with a suitable quirk that can capture Joker, but that it needs to be tested before we’re sure of anything. It’s possible that he’ll join us. I’m surprised Toga, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Of course!” She blushed and squealed like a schoolgirl, “Joker opposed my precious Stainy and took him away from me, so I have to make him pay! Hey Kurogiri, can you get me another ice cream?”

“I am not your servant,” Kurogiri muttered, “Get it yourself. Clean your trash from the floor while you’re at it.”

“I would, but I just ate the last one! Big sis Magne is taking forever to get back from the store! Can’t you just teleport some ice cream instead?”

Kurogiri heaved a sigh, but ignored her in favor of polishing a glass.

Shigaraki sank into a bar stool. He ignored Dabi’s pointed stare and looked at the silent television, absorbing a scene where Joker’s dragon weaved through the dark storm clouds. Yes, if he could somehow turn U.A.’s gold medalist to their side _and_ hurtthis secret boss…

Then the League Of Villains would live forever in infamy.

Dabi raised a brow as a malicious grin split Shigaraki’s face, but he decided not to question it.

He didn’t feel like turning into dust, after all.

~*~*~*~

“Nobody’s here.”

Kaito stepped away from the Blue Lotus Cafe. It was dark inside, and the sign on the door stated it was closed.

“But…” Morgana’s ears flattened, “But we’ve looked everywhere! Where else could he be? It wasn’t supposed to be like this! He… He was supposed to get me fatty tuna…”

Kaito sniffled and hugged his chest as they left the cafe behind and ducked into an alley. They were soaked to the bone and shivering, any attempt to keep Morgana in his jacket was futile, the cat kept wriggling out and running off on his own. His feet ached and he tried to keep the exhaustion at bay, the worry gnawing away at his heart kept him going. But everyone had limits.

“I know,” Kaito shivered as rain tapped on his jacket, “Let’s head back to the Nest.”

“What!?” Morgana whirled around to him, “We can’t stop now!”

“Look, we’ve been out here for hours.” Kaito motioned to the empty streets behind them, “What would happen if Akira came back to the Raven’s Nest and we weren’t there? Do you think he would want us running ourselves down like this? Besides, the heroes know what you look like and, well, it’s just not safe to be out here.”

They heard it, the flap of leathery wings. Kaito cursed under his breath and huddled down next to Morgana, his dark clothes blending them into the wall. Ryukyu’s massive body flew over them, kicking up the wind and splashing them with icy rain. They stayed stock still a moment longer, the dragon’s thundering wing beats faded into the distance. Kaito stood with a sigh, watching the water drops fall from his clothes to the puddles at his feet.

“Ryukyu just made my point.”

It was thanks to Morgana’s abilities that they’ve managed to stay under the heroes’ radar in the first place, but Morgana was too exhausted to keep it up for much longer.

“I….” Morgana laid flat on the ground, despite the freezing puddles, “I guess you’re right. I’m just so worried. He was really hurt. I’ve _never_ seen him like that before.”

“I’m worried too.” Kaito picked him up and wandered deeper into the alley, “We’ll recover at the Raven’s Nest. Some food, warmth, and a few hours of rest is better than us floundering around out here. Sound good?” 

“We don’t really have a choice, do we?”

Kaito was silent, frowning. He didn’t answer, instead he focused on putting one foot in front of the other. It wouldn’t benefit Akira at all if they got sick or worse yet, were detected by a hero like Ryukyu and arrested on the spot. Still, that knot in his chest wouldn’t go away until he saw Akira again. That, and ground him for at least month. Maybe squeeze some more curry out of the kid as retribution, too.

It was the least Akira could do for worrying him so damn much.

~*~*~*~

The doctor peeked into the room as he heard his master laugh.

The room was lit up by a myriad of screens and humming medical equipment. Over half a dozen new monitors had been added to All For One’s set-up, all playing videos or news reports from Musutafu. One screen covered the current protest in Akihabara, another with multiple videos from the great golden dragon’s attack, another still with weather reports and radars on the man made typhoon.

The doctor smiled, mimicking the grin of his master, ones that stretched from ear to ear like a cheshire cat. Such power was mind boggling! He longed to experiment on such a quirk. All For One chuckled as he leaned back in his chair, sending a chill up the doctor’s spine.

The destruction, this chaos. The pure frailty of the Hero Commission and their sorry excuse for a raid. Demizu Mika and the Idaten Agency spreading this petition, and people flocking to it like mindless sheep. A beloved vigilante, lost, wounded, or perhaps worse. It was the perfect storm, both literally and figuratively. He reveled in all of it, and he knew it was the same for his master. 

The doctor chuckled as he pulled on his gloves, turning away from the room. He had beloved experiments to get back to. So many Nomu to create, so little time. Better yet, Giran was bringing in a shipment of fresh materials tomorrow! His eager giggles bounced down the hallway as he walked, until he reached a certain door made of thick steel and heavy duty locks. Screams and inhuman yowls came from behind it. He rubbed his hands together and went through it.

Back in the darkened room, All For One laughed at the delicious pandemonium.

This was the most fun he’s had in _decades_.

~*~*~*~

****[Haxxor]** **

_Gentle and I are taking the next train to Musutafu when the lines open up again._

_I swear if you’re not dead by the time we get there I’ll do you in myself._

_~34 missed calls_

_…_

****[Haxxor]** **

_Please be okay_

The calls continued to go unanswered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hit some MORE big milestones!! 2100 kudos, over 60k (sixty thousand what??) hits, and nearly 450 bookmarks?? I’m still so flabbergasted and in awe of everybody’s support for this story, you guys have no idea!


	31. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally find out what happened to our boy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some edits made 10/24/2020

People cried out as they rushed for cover, they scrambled over one another to take shelter from the sheeting rain and howling winds. Multiple pairs of footsteps pounded down the alley, great splashes splattered the walls from the swollen puddles. It was then that they encountered the boy.

_“Wait, there’s someone here!”_

Kind, shaky hands turned him over, careful of any injuries. Startled gasps and muffled screams.

_“What the-!? What happened to him!?”_

_“C-call an ambulance!”_

_“I’m trying, but it’s not going through!”_

_“He’s bleeding so much…”_

_“Does he have a phone?”_

_“Yeah, but it’s busted. What do we do!?”_

_“We can’t leave him here!”_

_“Wait, I think I know this kid! Isn’t he the barista from the Blue Lotus?”_

_“... You’re right, do you think they’ll do something? They know him better than we do.”_

_“The Blue Lotus is a lot closer. We won’t make it to a hospital in this weather.”_

_“Risumi and Ayumu can take care of him, lets not waste any more time!”_

_“Holy-!! Help me with him. He weighs a ton!”_

He felt weightless, whispers in the darkness, the chilly breeze and the _tap tap_ of rain pattered all around him. These things were just out of his reach, like a curtain call that swept him under the sea of unconsciousness.

His body was a patchwork of pain, so he never resisted the call of painless sleep.

His mind was fuzzy when an inkling of awareness returned.

A cacophony of voices swirled around inside his mind, but his head hurt too much to make heads or tails of them. Then, a sudden howl ripped through his head, a draconic scream of rage and a hiss of pain and startled shouting, something deep within Akira cracked like a mirror, white-hot pain writhed through his body. Fresh crimson droplets fell with the pouring rain.

_“Shit! He’s bleeding again!”_

_“Hold on, kid! We’re almost there.”_

It was _too much_. Akira escaped back into the soothing darkness.

The last time distorted awareness came was when there was the sound of a bell, oddly familiar and calming. He smiled when the scent of coffee and curry and warm cinnamon washed over him. He must’ve been in the cafe. He was _safe_.

“Boss…?”

His throat was so parched, it made his voice crack. The bodies around him stiffened, there were more muffled voices all directed at him, but he was too tired to answer. There was a soft hand on his head, running their fingers through his hair, he relaxed and fell into the blackness once again. He never knew how long he was here, floating in a sea of nothing. There was no pain, no feeling, no…. _anything_ here.

_“...ter!”_

A faraway voice called to him.

_“..ckster!!”_

He whirled around in the dark abyss, but the voice echoed all around him.

_“...Trickster!?”_

The small voice was closer and oh so familiar. He opened his mouth to shout back, when a sudden flash of a blue butterfly wing whipped him back into the waking world. His eyes flew open as he jolted straight up, gasping and coughing against the grimy dryness of his throat. A thick blanket fell around his waist as his fit continued. Someone grabbed his hand and forced a smooth glass in it.

“Here, drink up.”

Akira recognized Risumi’s voice, and the cold water soothed his throat. She took the glass when he was finished and set it aside. He rubbed at his eyes and blinked rapidly, trying and failing to shake the haziness in his vision.

“Where… am I?”

“Shh, lie back down.” She said, “You’re safe, you’re in our apartment above the cafe.”

Risumi placed her hands on his shoulders and he settled down on the cushions, a couch by the looks of it. They were in a quaint little room, with wooden floors and decorations like the ones in the cafe. There were a few more plush chairs and an entertainment stand with a TV, this room was connected to a kitchen, from which Ayumu and Hitoshi stared at him with wide eyes. Both of them were bone white.

A crack of thunder shook the silence.

Risumi, who sat on the coffee table in front of him, looked out the window, frowning. She turned back to him when the thunder died down, and it was now that he noticed the bags under her eyes. The tiredness lined in her whole body or how her hair wasn’t tied in its usual elegant braid, stray hairs weaved over her face. Worry creased her brow as she stared into his silvery eyes, her hands knotted together.

“How are you feeling?”

Akira placed his arm over his eyes. His head was cotton and static, his memory foggy and incoherent. It hurt to move his body, as if his skin was cracked glass. The world spun unnaturally. He was lucky that he had an empty stomach. There was something else, deep within. It was like there was a tiny fracture in his heart, a piece of a puzzle that didn’t quite fit anymore.

Honestly, he felt better when he was drugged and beaten.

There was a sharp intake of air.

“When you were _what_!?”

Akira lifted his arm to see Risumi gaping and pale.

“Did…” His throat was still scratchy, but he held back a cough, “Did I say that out loud…?”

Her hands were fists in her lap, the knuckles white and shaking.

“Yes, sweetheart.” She replied tersely, “Yes, you did.”

“Oh.”

Silence permeated the apartment. The Shinsou family knew what they heard. Risumi and Ayumu exchanged glances, Hitoshi’s stomach churned as his nails dug into his fists. Akira couldn’t stand the ear ringing quiet, or how uncomfortable words hung off their tongues. Another flash of lightning flooded the apartment. The roll of thunder washed through the drenched city, it allowed him to pull his thoughts together.

"What happened?” 

“We don’t know what happened to you, but we can discuss that later.” Risumi shook her head, “Do you remember one of our regulars, Emiyo-san?”

Akira furrowed his brow, he vaguely remembered that red-haired woman who had called him out for 'cutting in line' a few weeks ago.

Ayumu cleared his throat, “She and her nephews were in the city when that dragon attacked and the storm hit. They found you when they were seeking shelter, alone and… well…”

The man grimaced. Hitoshi swallowed, still gaping at Akira.

“You were bleeding when they brought you in,” Risumi said softly, “A _lot_. Ayumu carried you upstairs and I cleaned you up, we reassured them that we would take care of you, so they didn’t stick around. You’ve been unconscious all day and through the night.”

Akira gave her a blank stare.

Dragon? Storm? He was unconscious _all night_? Where was Morgana!? The memories came flooding back in a relentless cascade. The heroes, their escape, _Kohryu!_ He flung himself into the mindscape, but it was dark and desolate. There was _nothing_. A cracked, empty void.

“H-hey-” Risumi stood when he sat up again, wheezing, “Kurusu, you need to lay down!”

He didn’t hear her through the ringing in his ears.

"Th-they're not here..."

"What?"

He clawed away at the frightening empiness in his heart. His lungs refused to take any air. Then... they couldn’t be…

“Kurusu, you need to calm down!” Risumi knelt beside him and grasped his shoulder, “Please kiddo, breathe with me.”

He didn’t listen, too enamored with the darkness to pay attention to the outside world.

There was an echo, a fluttering heartbeat. Akira felt a tug in the deepest reaches of his psyche. He tugged back, and relief swelled when Arsene’s presence filled the void. The pure sense of alleviation was dizzying.

 _“Trickster!”_ Arsene clutched his chest in relief, _“Thank goodness! We didn’t know what to think. It feels like our soul has been dark for ages.”_

The others flooded in.

_“Big brother!”_

_“Master!!”_

_“Mask Bearer, thank the heavens you are alright-”_

_“Trickster-”_

_“We thought that you-”_

_“We didn’t think that-”_

_“-If that man ever approaches-”_

_“Hush! We are-”_

_“-verwhelming him!”_

_“Silence!”_ Arsene’s voice rang through the mindscape, _“Calm yourselves. We do not wish to smother him.”_

The other personas quieted. The crackled pain over his heart eased as Akira basked in their presence.

_“Is everyone alright? Is Kohryu…?”_

_“Kohryu is greatly weakened, so he’s resting.”_ Arsene sighed, _“As you should be.”_

_“I… I’ll be fine.”_

Doubt emanated from the persona, he could feel the others either shaking their heads or frowning.

 _“We’ve talked about this before. You are not ‘fine’.”_ Arsene growled, _“Try telling that to the woman in front of you. She’ll see through that lie as I do.”_

“Kurusu?”

Akira blinked and looked up, she peered into him for a few tense seconds, searching his pale face.

“S-sorry.” Akira released the breathe he was holding, “I spaced out.”

“That’s alright.” Risumi squeezed his shoulder, then let go, “Is there anyone you want to call? Your phone was too damaged by the rain. We’ve been trying to contact the police or an ambulance for you, but-”

“No!”

_“Trickster, wait-!”_

He was on his feet in seconds, but his body wasn’t ready for such movements. The world tilted and he lost his balance. There was a shatter of glass and people shouting, his vision darkened, and he was on the floor when it cleared. Risumi hovered in front of him, horrified. Ayumu and Hitoshi were behind her.

“No police, no hospitals. No _heroes_.” He held up his hands as unwanted tears blurred his eyes, “Please.” 

Risumi shushed him and approached slowly, as if he were an injured animal.

“It’s alright, we won’t call them.” She pulled him into a hug, “Not if you don’t want us to.”

It was the warmest embrace he’s felt in a long time. He wrapped his arms around her and trembled, gripping the back of her shirt as if he were afraid to ever let go. Her hand carded through his hair, and the sensation made him suddenly drowsy. His eyes grew heavy and his body relaxed. He tried to fight it off, but it was like he was being compelled to sleep. Was this Risumi’s quirk? He had never asked what it was.

 _“Sleep, Ren.”_ Arsene’s presence shrouded him in comfort, _“You are safe here.”_

He needed nothing more to fall into a dreamless slumber.

Risumi stilled when Akira let go, and she pulled back to look at him. She wiped the stray tear that fell down his cheek, brushed stray hairs away from his eyes. The boy was so pale, so _sickly_ , his breathing was slightly labored. Dark circles were underneath his eyes, more apparent now after all of that blood was wiped away. What happened to him to make him like this? He was as healthy as a horse during his last shift!

“What…” Hitoshi’s voice was strained, “What are we going to do?”

“We can’t call the police anyway,” Ayumu glanced out the window, “The typhoon has the whole city on lockdown and the lines are clogged up.”

“And we won’t be calling them, either.” She said as she held Akira closer, “You both heard what he said as well as I did, and his reaction to simply contacting the police…”

“Yeah.” Ayumu’s eyes softened as he looked at Kurusu, “Hitoshi, help your mother get Kurusu situated. I’ll make us all a pot of coffee and clean up the glass. We might be in for the long haul.”

“R-right.”

Ayumu’s heart twisted in guilt after he took care of the glass and started on the coffee. This boy, who had been nothing but cocky and confident up until now, was so frightened. So raw with emotion. He had never witnessed somebody, much less a _kid_ , be so afraid of heroes. He was drugged? Beaten? Why was he in that alleyway, bleeding and alone? The dragon. This storm. How Kurusu’s shifty circumstances aligned with Joker’s recent escape.

It was all too coincidental.

Ayumu looked to his wife as the coffee took its sweet time brewing. There was fear in her face as she draped the blanket over Kurusu. Hitoshi was at her side, his son stared down at Kurusu with a whirlwind of different emotions. Risumi looked up at him, a film of tears in her eyes.

Could Kurusu really be…?

Ayumu swallowed thickly as the machine beeped.

Maybe he’d been wrong about the kid from the start.

~*~*~*~

_Hero Missing From Embryon Group-_

Nope.

_Silver Falcon’s Legal Team Arrested For-_

Old news.

_HPSC Under Fire For Disaster Raid-_

Swipe.

_Mystical Typhoon Baffles Experts-_

Not this one, either.

_Several Heroes Hospitalized-_

Next.

_Multiple Protests Break Out Across Japan._

Taneo bit his lip. He shook his head and scrolled to the next one when he was finished.

_Where Is Joker?! Top 10 Theories On His Whereabouts!_

He rolled his eyes and shut his laptop when he read ‘Abducted By Aliens’. How are people allowed to publish such garbage? His heart lurched as his phone pinged with a message, he jumped at it, tipping over the accumulation of papers all over his desk. His heart sank and he glowered. Minato and Mitsuo gave him odd glances from their desks.

“What’s wrong?” Mitsuo leaned forward on her desk, “I haven’t seen you so lively in days.”

“Nothing. It was just Yuma asking what noodles I wanted from the store.” He sighed and tossed his phone on the desk, “It’s been what, three days since the storm started? I haven’t heard a peep from Joker.”

“But…” Minato looked out the darkened window, frowning, “Joker is Joker, he can’t go down that easy! He’s going to be fine, right?”

“I hope so.” Taneo’s knee bounced, “I just don’t like this radio silence. What if he was injured? The heroes haven’t found him yet, but what if he needs immediate medical attention or something?”

“Cheer up!” Mitsuo stood from her desk, grinning, “I’m sure he’s fine! Hey, and we’ll be able to get a killer story out of him, too! Just think of all the hits that we’ll get after he comes back!”

Taneo gave her a look. Her grin fell and she plopped back into her seat.

“And of course I’m worried about him.” She said with a wave of her hand.

Minato looked in between them. He pulled at the end of his sleeves as the awkward silence stretched.

“H-hey!” Minato forced a shaky smile, “Have you guys read how the principal Of U.A. roasted the Hero Commission? That’s spreading around as much as the petition!”

“Yup,” Mitsuo steepled her fingers together, “Calling the Hero Commission… oh, what was it? A ‘bunch of dilettantes with half the intelligence of a steaming cow pat’? That was my favorite line.”

Minato snickered and Taneo finally smiled.

“Nezu’s name is on the petition too, but you can’t find it anymore because it’s buried by so many signatures.” Taneo said, “Supporting Joker’s side in all of this has done wonders for U.A.’s reputation.”

“That’s an understatement.” Minato said, “But ironic considering that most of the U.A. staff were present during the raid. A few of them are still in the hospital.”

Taneo’s phone went off. Once again, his heart sunk to the floor like a bag of rocks.

“Yuma with the noddles again?” Mitsuo asked with a smirk.

“Yup,” Taneo’s face darkened, “I’m going to dump those noodles on his head when he gets back. I don’t care if he had to brave a typhoon for them.”

Minato and Mitsuo exchanged glances, then burst out into laughter.

~*~*~*~

Akira awoke peacefully this time.

He blinked a couple of times as his vision cleared, he basked in the cocoon of warmth for a moment, before dread curled in his belly.

_“Arsene?”_

_“We are here, all of us.”_ Arsene whispered amongst the other voices, _“Move slowly, you have been through much.”_

He breathed a sigh of relief. Kohryu was there too. Faded, but still there. He groaned as he sat up, the comforter falling around him. His body was as stiff as a block of wood, his joints creaked like gnarled old branches as he stretched.

“Hey, you’re actually awake.”

Hitoshi came in from the kitchen, hands stuffed in his pockets. He held a hand up when Akira tried to speak, and poured a cup of water from the pitcher on the coffee table. Akira nodded his thanks and took it, the water was a godsend for his dry throat. There was a beat of silence as Akira stared into the glass, his own faint reflection stared back.

“How long was I out?”

“About three days.”

Akira sputtered on his next sip, “Th-three days!?”

Oh, Morgana was going to _murder_ him.

“Yeah,” Hitoshi was oddly stiff as he crossed his arms, “Well, three and a half, I don’t think this morning counts. You woke up a few times to drink some water and use the bathroom, but you were pretty out of it. My parents and I took turns watching over you.”

“Oh,” Akira looked up at the nearby clock, frowning, “I don’t remember anything.”

“I figured you wouldn’t.”

The awkward silence stretched for several moments, Akira looked at the clock on the wall. It was past 8 in the morning.

“Shouldn’t you be in school right about now?”

“I suppose you wouldn’t know, but school has been let off for the rest of the week.” Hitoshi’s brow furrowed as he gave Akira a strange look, “On account of the typhoon, as well as other… things.”

Akira set the glass on the table and scrubbed at his eyes. He was so _tired_. Not just tired, it felt as if every part of him had been through the wringer. The floor creaked as Hitoshi shifted on his feet.

“Are you okay?”

He looked up at Hitoshi. The kid was giving him that weird look again, the same one from when he ran out of the cafe and gave him the silent treatment afterward.

“I’ll be fine.” Akira attempted a smile, but Hitoshi looked far from convinced.

“Yeah, I don’t buy that. Nobody would be ‘fine’ after all the shit you just went through.”

Akira huffed, “At least you’re finally talking to me again.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“I’m not trying to,” Akira gave him a wry smile, “I’m just wondering why you’ve been avoiding me lately. Did I offend you somehow?”

“No!”

Akira blinked rapidly as Hitoshi paled.

“I…” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down the hall, “Sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted like that. I hope that didn’t wake up my parents…”

“It’s fine.” Akira scrubbed at his face, his glasses were on the table, but he didn’t bother with them, “Can I step out and get some fresh air?”

“Uh, sure?” Hitoshi blinked, “But can you even make it outside?”

Akira pushed himself from the couch. He stumbled as dizziness took over him, a light ringing invaded his ears and he shook his head, his vision going spotty. Hitoshi stepped towards him, his hands reached halfway to Akira. It took a few moments for it to pass. Hitoshi was waved off, he grimaced but he went towards a door at the other end of the room. Akira followed.

There was a set of stairs past it, Akira leaned heavily on the railing as they made their way down. There was a little room at the bottom, he recognized the door that would lead into Blue Lotus’ kitchen. Hitoshi opened the door opposite of it, the fresh air swept inside, filling the room with the scent of rain.

Akira furrowed his brow when they stepped into an alley behind the cafe.

The fresh air was welcoming and helped clear his head, but the pitch black sky swirled overhead and made him uneasy, the whistle of wind sang over the rooftops. The deluge had whittled down into a light drizzle. The breeze weaved through their clothes and hair, but there was no magic in it, no sign that Morgana was nearby. Akira bit back his unease as he voiced the real reason for coming outside.

“So, can I ask why you wouldn’t talk to me before?”

Hitoshi jumped back as if he were stuck, eyes wide.

“I… you…” He blinked several times, “Did you want to step outside because of _that_?”

Akira rubbed the back of his neck, “Maybe.”

Hitoshi sighed and turned his back to Akira. There was only the pitter-patter of rain on cement as Hitoshi curled and uncurled his hands several times. Akira took a step closer, his brows furrowed.

“You can trust me,” Akira said, “No matter what it is.”

The ball was in Hitoshi’s court now, so they stayed that way for several moments. It didn’t matter that it was chilly outside or how their hair grew damp with rainfall, Akira waited, leaning up against the cool wall. Finally, Hitoshi spoke.

“You know,” Akira blinked at Hitoshi’s strained voice, “There aren’t many people that I look up to. My parents are a given of course, they try their hardest to raise me. Then, there are the heroes. Every kid has a dream of being a hero at one point, but all of that changes once you have a villain’s quirk. People treat you differently if your power terrifies them.”

Hitoshi took a shaky breath, Akira chose to stay silent.

“I told you before that the only hero I used to look up to was Eraserhead, but he didn’t save us like a certain somebody did. That certain somebody who, not only saved our cafe and my parents’ livelihoods but also rescued them from drowning in their own sorrows. He gave them hope.” Hitoshi’s shoulders trembled, “You asked me a while ago what I thought of Joker, but I never really gave you a straight answer.”

Akira’s heart beat out of his chest. Arsene and the others hovered at the edge of his psyche, listening.

“To put it simply, Joker is my one and only _hero_. The one who stands above the rest, including All Might.” There was admiration to his voice, “He’s just so different from everybody else, I think he’s the sort of guy who’s like me. He was dealt a bad hand in life, but instead of feeling sorry for himself or going down a dark path, he went out there and put other people above himself. People that might not do the same for him. He’s doing that right now, and honestly, that’s what I admire most about him.”

Akira’s eyes widened, “…What are you getting at?”

“You don’t get it?”

Hitoshi finally turned to face him. His eyes peered straight into Akira’s, his shoulders lined with false bravado and his head was held high. His hands shook and he swallowed as if bracing for something. Finally, after a few seconds doused in tapping rainwater, Hitoshi spoke words that sent a chill up Akira’s spine.

“I’m telling you exactly how I think of you, _Joker_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that happened. There seem to be loads of cliffhangers lately.
> 
> Sorry not sorry? ;)


	32. Me & Creed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delicious tea.

Ann turned the page.

She had just finished a chapter of Arsene Lupin, Gentlemen Burglar, by Maurice Leblanc. Ann smiled as she closed the book and held it close to her chest. No wonder their leader was so cool, Ren’s other self was a man with no equal, a suave master of stealth, and the art of thievery. Her smile vanished, in its place was a thoughtful tug of her lips as her heart twisted.

“Are you alright?”

Ann looked up at Haru, who was on the other side of the table. She held a delicate cup of tea in her hands, gracefully sipping on it as she studied her friend. In front of her was a veritable mountain of textbooks, each large enough to murder somebody should they drop on their head. Just a glance in one of Haru’s books gave her a headache.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ann leaned back in her chair and sighed, then held up her book, “Just reminiscing, you know?”

“It’s been difficult,” Haru’s eyes softened, “But we have to hang in there. We’ll see them again, hopefully someday soon. I know it.”

“R-right…”

Ann bit her lip. Their little table went quiet, even as shouts echoed in the concrete gym. This world was weird, but it was the type of weird they got used to, after going into so many Palaces and fighting Shadows. Real demons existed here, and part of this school’s secret curriculum was training exorcists. One of the teachers was younger than Haru!

Haru followed her gaze, watching as their ‘classmates’ finished up their training for the day. A figure approached them, the teenaged sensei that had a twin in his own classroom. Teal eyes hidden behind glasses and shadowed by dark hair, he had donned the iconic exorcist robes prevalent in all of the teachers here. 

“I’ll let you two head back to the dorms.” He said, “I trust you can stay out of trouble?”

“Of course, Okumura-sensei!” Haru said.

Ann bit her lip to keep from snorting. It must be strange for Haru, to have the same last name, there was even a _Ryuji_ here too. She wondered if their Ryuji would get along with him, they had the same brash attitude and a blonde streak through his hair. But from what she could tell, this world’s Ryuji was a lot smarter, and his friends called him Bon.

Not that the people here knew their real names. For all that they were concerned, it was just Noir and Panther.

There was a scoff, and they turned to look at another girl in class. 

“That figures.”

Okumura-sensei raised a brow at the girl, “Do you have a problem, Kamiki?”

“Of course I have a problem!” Her maroon eyes glared at Ann and Haru, “These two never do _anything_! It must be nice to sit on your backsides all day drinking tea and reading books, while we work ourselves to the bone! Do you even want to be exorcists!?”

Ann and Haru looked at each other as their sensei sighed. Kamiki’s shouts drew the others’ attention, and they slowly gathered around.

“She has a point.” Bon stepped next to Kamiki, glaring, “I don’t get what you two are here for. The teachers even pulled you out of the dorms when we had our test. You should just leave if you can’t take this work seriously!”

“True. Although,” Shima Renzo smirked as he clutched his chin, “These ladies have a certain elegance to them. If I could just-”

“Enough.” Okumura-sensei’s tone made the students flinch, “Their circumstances are unique. You’ve been told what you need to know and leave it at that. If you have any problems, you can take it to the principal himself.”

“Actually, can I request something, Okumura-sensei?” Haru asked.

He blinked at her, brows furrowed, “What is it, Noir?”

Haru stood. If anybody could make standing from a chair look like an enchanting art form, it would be Haru. Her movements were always as graceful as an empress. She smiled sweetly, hands placed like delicate flowers at her stomach.

“They have a point.” Haru looked over to Bon and Kamiki, their eyes narrowed, “We are enigmas in your class, practically cryptids for the rest of the school. We don’t partake in normal classes nor are we in any part of your Exwire training. And yet we seem to have the favor of the principal and suspicion from the teachers, we would not be so heavily watched otherwise.”

Okumura-sensei stiffened as their faces fell in shock. Ann couldn’t help but feel proud as Haru commanded the attention of the whole room, all with flawless posture and a kind smile.

“Okumura-sensei, if it pleases your students, I think a show of our abilities might be necessary.”

He frowned, “By doing what?”

“How about a friendly spar? Myself versus anybody who wants to test my abilities.”

“You can’t be serious!” Rin Okumura shouted, but his brother and Haru were locked in a staring contest.

“Your weapons are locked away in the principal’s office. You know you won’t get permission to have them for something like this.”

“They wouldn’t be needed.” Haru said coolly, “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt anybody. It’ll be over before it begins.”

“Hey!” Bon said, a vein in his forehead showing.

Kamiki crossed her arms and glared daggers at Haru.

Okumura-sensei glanced at Ann, “What do you think of this?”

“Well, it has been a bit since Noir got to show off.” She said with a smirk, “I know things between us have been…. tense, I think everybody needs a proper demonstration. They won’t be satisfied if things continue as it is, and it might get worse if we don’t show them _something_.”

“Don’t worry, Okumura-sensei.” Haru said, “I know what we can and can’t do.”

“...Alright. I’ll start the match, but I don’t want anybody going too far.”

“Yukio!!” Rin approached his brother, scowling, “You’re okay with this when she won’t have any weapons!? You can’t leave her defenseless!”

“I already said that I don’t need my weapon, Rin-chan.” Haru said, then she looked at Bon and Kamiki, “Shall we?”

“I won’t go easy on you!” Kamiki said as she followed Haru to the center of the gym.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Shima said as he put together segments of a staff with golden rings, “But I want to join in too!” 

“You’re fine with how unfair this is?” Bon gave Ann a strange look, “You’re letting your friend fight three people on one.”

“You’re right, it’s not fair. I don’t think you’d have much chance even if your other friends joined in.” Ann simply chuckled, “Noir can take care of herself.”

Bon’s expression darkened, he whirled around and stomped towards his inevitable doom. Haru’s eyes burned with liquefied gold and she waved her arm in an arc. The multiple lights of a Heat Riser flashed across her body. Ann smiled as a few students gasped.

Haru’s felt her persona’s wicked smirk, making her own lips follow suit. Her eyes glanced over at Ann, who nodded. They both knew what the power of blue flames meant in this world, but she didn’t need to summon Astarte or her costume for this.

“If there are any preparations you need to make,” Haru said, eyes still lit with gold, “Then you should make them now.”

Kamiki scoffed as she got out two small pieces of paper, on them were intricate circles. She pricked her finger with a needle and dotted the paper with blood. 

“I humbly appeal to the goddess of Inari.” Wind picked up around Kamiki as she tossed the papers in the air, “I entreat you not to leave my prayers unfulfilled!”

Two ghostly fox spirits burst out from the pieces of paper, fangs at the ready. Bon and Shima took a stance, though Shima had a shameless grin on his face as he ogled Haru. Okumura-sensei held his hand up, eyeing both groups warily.

“Start!”

Haru’s opponents charged, but they never stood a chance. The room darkened, and they were blinded as countless flashes of lightning crashed into the ground. Howls came from the fox spirits as they were struck directly, her three opponents cried out in shock, but they were overshadowed by the shockwave that shook the gym. Okumura-sensei’s expression turned grim as the dust finally cleared.

Haru, with an angelic smile still on her face, stood over the myriad of craters surrounding the three students. They were untouched, their feet still upon smooth floor, but the concrete around them had been obliterated, blown away without a trace. Kamiki’s jaw dropped, and she stared at Haru with no small amount of fear.

Bon had stood stock still, sweat beaded on his face.

Shima’s staff fell from his grasp, and it rolled into one of the craters.

Haru turned and walked back to the others. Okumura-sensei sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he regretted his decision. Haru stopped in front of Ann.

“Well then, shall we head back to our dorm, Panther?”

Ann beamed as she finally stood from the table and linked arms with Haru.

“Let’s go!”

They left the gym in dead silence. They took a few steps outside, then stopped as the door behind them shut, staring at each other with wide eyes. Ann was the first to laugh, Haru’s soft giggles joined in a moment later.

“Did you see the looks on their faces!?”

“Yes, it’s always exciting to see them shivering in fear.” Haru said with a graceful nod, “Though I’m glad we can use our abilities without summoning our personas or our costumes. Do you think the Riot Gun was too much?”

“Nah,” Ann playfully nudged her, “I think it was just the right amount of drama. Ren would be proud of you.”

“Heeey! Wait up!!”

They looked over their shoulders to see Shiemi and Rin chasing after them. A tiny green spirit swung from the ends of Shiemi’s blonde hair.

“Th-that was so cool, Noir-chan!” Shiemi said, positively beaming, “Can you teach me how to be that cool!?”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen Yukio stunned like that,” Rin said with a smirk, “What was that power, anyway?”

Shiemi blinked, and curiously looked at Haru.

“W-well,” Ann said, staring at the ground as they walked, “As your teachers said before, it’s classified.”

“You can’t even share _that_? That’s lame!” Rin sulked and motioned to the sword at his back, “Everyone knows about my flames now. And we’ve shared the same dorm for what, two months? They still won’t let you say anything?”

“It is what it is.” Haru said with a sigh, “I’m sorry we can’t share more.”

“That’s fine,” He grumbled as he scratched the back of his head.

The old dorms were just around the corner. It was an older building, practically abandoned had it not been for their Chief Babysitter and his brother. Haru beamed when she saw what was waiting by the door. She let go of Ann and knelt down next to the bags of soil and packages of seeds.

“They came a day early!” Ann said.

“Bags of soil?” Rin raised a brow at them, “What for?”

Haru smiled at him, but something about it made a shiver go down his spine.

“Who was it that destroyed my rooftop garden again? I saw the remains after you went all out during your battle with Neuhaus-sensei.” Haru said, Rin couldn’t meet her eyes, “Would you be so kind as to carry them up to the roof for me?”

“Y-yeah! I can do that!”

“Nee and I will help you, Rin!” Shiemi said, her little green spirit nodding.

“We’ll go ahead and meet you up there!”

Ann grabbed Haru’s wrist and they went inside. This dorm was older than the rest on campus, farther from the main building too. It had no proper air conditioning, but it had electricity and a decent bath. Ann and Haru’s room was near the top floor, where they’ve been staying since they were spat out into this world, not counting the dark cells where they spent their first few nights in utter terror.

Ann didn’t like to think about it.

They climbed up the stairs to the roof, but they weren’t alone. The principal of True Cross Academy was waiting for them, leaning on his brightly colored umbrella with a smug grin. He was as flamboyant as their leader, donning flashy white jester clothes and top hat, a billowing white and purple cape hung down his back. His hair was purple and his eyes were a bright acid green, but his most remarkable features were his pointed ears and sharp canines.

“Principal,” Haru put on her sweetest smile, “What are you doing all the way up here?”

“Why else?” His cape flared as he waved his hands, “You demonstrated your power marvelously, Noir-chan! Those poor Exwires poked the sleeping dragon, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have nightmares from it.”

“O-oh,” Ann chuckled and hid her nerves behind a shaky smile, “You know about that already?”

“Of course, my dear Panther.” Mephisto grinned and ran a finger under the rim of his hat, “Nothing goes down in this school without my knowing about it! But with that said ladies, I thought we had an agreement.”

His eyes gained sharpness to them, like the blade of Haru’s bardiche. He twirled his umbrella around as he circled them with a pleasant smile, but it was the sort of smile a predator would use to lure in their prey.

“And we haven’t broken that agreement,” Haru said, her voice stable, “None of our memories from our time in the gate have resurfaced.”

“Y-yeah! We would’ve told you if we remembered something!”

Mephisto stopped and tapped his umbrella on the ground. The old demon snorted, smirking with amusement before he continued his circling.

“Really?” He purred, “You know, your powers are something to admire. You two are completely human, yet you can each summon a demon born from _blue flames_ and have them perform magic with which I’ve never felt before _._ Imagine, you’re an unknown, even to one like myself!Not to mention the scare you gave our entire organization when a Gehenna Gate opened in the middle of _my_ school, and two unconscious girls were dropped in my courtyard. That should have been every level of _impossible_ , yet here you stand, claiming to have no memories.”

Ann and Haru exchanged hasty glances. He stopped and then pointed his umbrella at them, eyes shadowed by his hat.

“But without my swift interference and Rin’s example, you both would have been tried as agents of Satan and promptly executed. I’ve taken you two under my wing and protected you from Exorcist persecution. I’ve given you the books you requested, clothes, food, a roof over your head. Provided you with a lovely garden.” He slowly lowered his umbrella and shook his head, “The least you can do in return is have the decency to be honest with me.” 

He was only met with more silence.

Haru never broke her calm facade, but Ann bit the inside of her cheek. A world of Ruin, a false god pulling the strings, and worse yet, they currently had no way to return home. What proof would they have if they told the truth? None. They didn’t know if they could _ever_ get back home and fix things anyway. Haru tried to make sense of their situation, to try and find a way back or to make contact with the others, taking it upon herself to study such confusing topics.

That stuff just flew over Ann’s head.

Ann felt useless, but she cheered Haru on and helped in any way she could.

“Ah, well.” Mephisto turned his back on them and raised his umbrella, “I hear those other two coming up, so I won’t disturb your fun much longer. If you two ever wish to tell me the truth, you know where to find me. I look forward to that conversation over tea. Ainz, Zwei, Drei!”

Mephisto’s body disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke, and a small dog was in his place. He hopped onto the railing, taking one last glance at them. At that moment, the rooftop door opened. Rin carried two massive bags of soil under each arm, Shiemi was struggling just to carry one, with Nee happily bouncing on her shoulder.

“Where do you want these, Noir?” Rin blinked at their downtrodden appearances, “Hey, are you guys okay?”

Ann looked to where Mephisto was, but the demon was already gone.

“We’re fine,” Haru lied through her sugary sweet smile, “Just set those over there and we can get to work.”

“Noir-chan, I’ve done plenty of gardening myself!” Shiemi said with stars in her eyes, “I can help!”

“Of course, but I’ll be teaching you the proper names of these plants. I saw all of the red marks on your herbology tests.”

Shiemi turned beet red but nodded frantically. Haru giggled and pat the girl’s head.

“I’m just gonna go…” Rin tried to make for the door, but Ann grabbed his wrist.

“Noir’s not going to let you go until everything is finished.” Ann said.

“She’s quite right.”

Haru put her hands on her hips and gave Rin a stern look, then she waved towards all of the empty pots and planters.

“It’s your fault that all of my plants have been…. expired. I’ll only forgive you if you help plant new ones.”

Shiemi puffed up her cheeks and nodded at Rin, her pale hair bouncing.

“Alright, alright!” His shoulders slumped and he dragged himself to the potters, “How is it that you’re a worse slave driver than Yukio?”

“What was that?”

“N-nothing!”

Ann laughed as they got to work.

“Do you think Ukobach-chan can make us a cake when we’re finished?” Haru said as she packed soil in a pot, “I think we should be rewarded for our hard work.”

“Cake!!” Ann and Rin shouted in unison.

They looked at each other and grinned, their hands working faster to sort out soil and plant the delicate seeds. Haru exchanged a glance with Shiemi, the blonde girl and her little green spirit were overjoyed to work on a garden again. They spent the rest of the evening on the rooftop, amongst the scent of earthy soil and dirt-stained hands. 

Haru smiled as Ann and the others laughed together, the sky bled a warm orange and a pleasant breeze weaved through the air. It was peaceful.

Almost too peaceful.

Ann looked over at Haru as if she sensed her unease, their eyes met with the same fire. They knew this was only temporary. They were waiting for the other shoe to drop, for _something_ to shatter this fragile little truce between them and True Cross Academy.

They truly didn’t need their equipment to use their full power. A little white lie to ensure that they were always underestimated. But, if the exorcists dared to try anything, if they _dared_ hurt either Ann or Haru in any way….

Then all hell would break loose, they wouldn’t hold back this time, now that their full powers have returned.

They wouldn’t give up on finding a way home, despite everything that’s happened. Ann nodded at Haru and they got back to work. It was nightfall before they were finished, Shiemi wiped her brow as she stood.

A playful grin stretched Rin’s face.

“Hey, I’ll race you to the kitchen! The winner gets first dibs on that cake!”

“Oh, you’re on!”

“H-hey! No cheating!!”

Haru chuckled as they scrambled over themselves to get to the door first.

“Make sure you two wash up!” Haru called, but they were already gone.

“Who do you think will win?” Shiemi asked as the door swung ominously.

“My bet is on Ann, but Rin may have a few tricks up his sleeve.” Haru shook her head, “Let’s go make sure they don’t burn anything to the ground?”

“Right!”

Haru looked up at the sea of twinkling stars before they departed, a solemn promise forged between herself and Astarte. They would find the others and take their revenge on Yaldabaoth, no matter how long it took or what the cost would be.

But first, cake!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nezu, Truth, Urahara, and Mephisto all walk into a bar-
> 
> *universe implodes*
> 
> But seriously though, the final world of Ao No Exorcist has been revealed! 
> 
> I couldn’t help but notice this as well.  
> AnE: Has a summer camp in a forest that is attacked and set ablaze with blue fire.  
> MHA: Has a summer camp in a forest that is attacked and set ablaze with blue fire.
> 
> HMMM 
> 
> Also, let there be reddit!
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/Thieves_den/


	33. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira reached out to him, but the other boy smacked his hand away. 
> 
> “Save your empty platitudes! Why the hell can’t you trust me when I’ve put so much trust in you!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank Lofti Lofi, Gundoru, and Mystik_Owl for helping me with this chapter. I had some real trouble putting this chapter together and they helped it evolve from a shadow of its former self.
> 
> Haha, Shadow. Get it?
> 
> ....I'll walk myself out.

“I’m telling you exactly how I think of you, _Joker_.”

Akira suppressed a flinch as Hitoshi watched him like a hawk.

 _“How did he know? We were always careful around the Blue Lotus!”_

_“Hmph, this one is smarter than he looks.”_ Arsene grumbled, feathers bristling, _“What do you intend to do?”_

 _“Ah, it’s almost as if we’re back home.”_ Titania shook her head with a wistful sigh.

 _“But this world is different to ours.”_ Yatagarasu said, _“Many dangerous villains lurk in every dark corner. This boy, and by extension the Trickster, will be within danger’s grasp should this knowledge get out.”_

 _“Be at peace, Trickster.”_ The Caped Warrior waved his arm. “ _Let’s see what he knows first.”_

 _“Well, there’s only one way to find out for certain.”_ Arsene’s unease drifted into Akira’s own. _“Take caution and ask.”_

_“Right…”_

Akira took a breath to calm his rabbiting heart. He raised his chin and squared his shoulders as he stared back at Hitoshi, sending a shiver down Hitoshi’s spine.

“Why would you think I’m Joker?”

“Y-your bird, the one with the three legs?” Hitoshi scanned the rooftops. “I run a Herocord server. A user from Hosu got a picture of Joker with that same bird from the time you saved me from those bullies. Don’t worry, I told them not to share it.”

 _“I… I didn’t think…”_ Yatagarasu ruffled his feathers and hung his head. _“My deepest apologies, Trickster.”_

_“It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”_

Yatagarasu flinched, but Akira spoke before any other personas could interrupt.

“What you think you know could be used against you,” Akira ignored the sour twist in his heart. “Not only against yourself, but against your parents too. You would become a target for Joker’s enemies. The people you love could get hurt. Is that what you want?”

“No! I-I… you…” Hitoshi’s eyes widened, “I know how to keep a secret! _Trust_ me.”

_“Mask Bearer, I think we can put our faith in this child.”_

_“I…”_

Were the rewards greater than the risks? This world was far more dangerous than back home, where otherworldly powers were only limited to the Metaverse. Everyone here had some sort of ability. Limited or not, there’s always potential for a hero or villain to be stronger than any Palace Ruler. Joker walked a precarious line, where either side would target his allies to get the upper hand. What if someone found out his identity? What would happen to Hitoshi and his family if he messed up? What if they found a way home and had to abandon them? 

“Sorry.” Akira tore his eyes away from Hitoshi, “But you have the wrong guy.”

Hitoshi’s eyes flashed with hurt.

_“Mask Bearer, please rethink this. We need allies.”_

_“No,”_ Akira couldn’t look at Hitoshi, _“We’ve dragged enough people into our mess. Our work is too dangerous for him! I just… I can’t.”_

_“Trickster…”_ Yatagarasu murmured.

“Let’s just go inside,” Akira whispered over the drizzling rain.

“Wait!”

Akira flinched, wide eyed, as Hitoshi snatched his wrist. His soul quivered as Arsene’s growl rolled through him like thunder. Hitoshi’s stomach dropped when Akira’s eyes flashed gold, as foreboding as a viper readying to strike. He let go of Akira’s wrist as the hairs on the back of his neck raised.

“I…” Hitoshi bowed his head. “You don’t have to lie to me, Joker-”

“ _Shinsou.”_ Hitoshi jolted when Akira’s voice sharpened.

“No!” Akira’s heart lurched when Hitoshi’s voice broke, “Please listen to me!”

Arsene’s anger fluctuated alongside the gold in Akira’s eyes as he turned fully to Hitoshi. Akira eyed Hitoshi’s trembling hands fisted so tight that he nearly drew blood. His eyes, desperate and desolate, bored into Akira.

“It would be so easy.”

Akira held his breath as Arsene hovered on the edge of the mindscape.

Hitoshi swallowed thickly, “I would only have to use my quirk on you, you know. You saw what it was during the Sports Festival, right? _Brainwashing_. I could make you bring out that bird or any other creatures that have made the news. That’s all it would take to get my answer.”

All other personas jumped back to escape the burst of unholy light emanating from Arsene. The murderous aura crashed down on them like a tidal wave and smothered the entire mindscape. Akira’s face paled. The intensity of Arsene’s rage nearly swallowed him too, but he pushed it back with an indomitable willpower all of his own. Akira shook his head and focused on Hitoshi.

“Then why don’t you use it?”

“Because I trust you too much damnit!”

Akira flinched. Hitoshi gripped his shirt as if to tear out his own heart.

“Don’t you have any idea what life is like with a villain’s quirk!?” Tears burned Hitoshi’s eyes. “Do you know how many people have ever supported me outside of my parents? Nobody! Not a _single_ person! That was, until _you_ showed up. _Somebody_ finally helped me against those bullies, and for the first time in my life—”

Hitoshi clenched his eyes shut and shook his head, a single tear blended with the rain.

“For the first time in my life I had an actual friend! A friend who not only helped me, but saved my parents.”

Akira stiffened. His heart pounded in his ears as Arsene prowled back and forth on the edge of reality. The persona was so close that he felt the whisper of feathers and his breath brushing his neck.

“So when I find out that _you_ were both my hero and my best friend, I….” Hitoshi furiously wiped at his eyes, “I just need to know the truth! But If I use my quirk on you like this… then… then how am I any better than a villain!? How could I ever call myself a hero!?” 

The light of his eyes faded as the last tear fell. Akira could only compare him to a raging forest fire, now burnt out and smoldering, its acrid smoke still toxic for anyone to approach.

“Hitoshi…”

Akira reached out to him, but the other boy smacked his hand away.

“Save your empty platitudes! Why the hell can’t you trust me when I’ve put so much trust in you!?”

Akira gaped at him, hand still hovering in the air. Lost for words as the drizzling rain tapped their skin like icy needles. A streak of lightning flashed overhead and the crackle of thunder rumbled their tiny alley. The personas were dead silent. Arsene’s anger intertwined with wariness as the silence stretched on, but Akira had no answer to give Hitoshi. 

Hitoshi ducked his head and allowed his purple hair to obscure his eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I’m getting my answer one way or another.”

Arsene _snapped_. 

_“I’ve had enough of this boy’s foolishness! If he wants this so bad then I will give it to him!”_

At a sudden spike of pain, Akira’s eyes flooded with brilliant gold, and Hitoshi startled when Akira cried out in agony and grasped his head, the creak and groan of countless chains rattling throughout Akira’s soul. With a howl, Arsene threw himself into reality.

The cry echoed in the alleyway, and Hitoshi’s hands clasped over his ears. The white hot pain in Akira’s head spilled down to the rest of his body and pooled over his heart. Blue flames hissed in the rain as it consumed Akira. Arsene arose from the fire like a demon clawing its way out of the gates of hell, mask ablaze with flickers of crimson. Arsene snuffed out the flames with a sweep of his midnight wings. Joker collapsed to his knees behind him, coattails flaring before they went limp on the concrete.

Hitoshi’s pupils turned into pinpricks as his idol’s demon loomed over him. The dying embers made his horns and claws gleam. Any puddles had sizzled away, and curls of steam wafted over Hitoshi as he backed into the wall, a bone deep chill seeped down his spine as Arsene’s shadow swallowed him. A hiss froze him on the spot. There was nowhere to run. Any escape was cut off by inky black wings. 

Hitoshi’s breath caught when Arsene held up his clawed hands. Static hummed through the air as swirls of red and b lack consumed Arsene’s body.

“Arsene!”

Joker’s world tilted as he forced himself to his feet only for his shoulder to slam into the wall.

“Leave him alone, Arsene! He didn’t mean it!”

Arsene growled. It rattled nearby trash bins and reverberated in Hitoshi’s chest. Hitoshi was as pale as Joker, sweat trickling down his face.

“ _Arsene!_ ” Joker snapped.

The tip of Arsene’s claws ghosted on Hitoshi’s cheek before he floated away with and angel’s grace. Hitoshi slowly slid down the wall. Arsene ignored him as he hovered beside Joker, the cursed magic dwindling away. The heat died to the cold drizzle. 

“You… I didn’t…” Joker ran a hand down his face. “I didn’t even know you could materialize like that, Arsene.”

“I refused to stand by and watch this happen! I won’t allow what happened with Kohryu…” Arsene’s wings drooped, “I won’t allow _any_ of us to come to harm ever again. _”_

Joker’s eyes softened, and he reached out for Arsene’s arm. A small purr thrummed from Arsene as he leaned into Joker’s touch, his wing wrapping around Joker’s shoulders in a pseudo embrace.

Shame sunk into Hitoshi’s stomach as he witnessed the tender moment, and he froze when they turned their eyes on him. He flinched as Joker pulled himself from Arsene’s wing, eyes darting between Joker and the bright colors splashing at his feet. Joker offered his hand.

“I’m sorry,” Joker said softly, “I think… I think we all started off on the wrong foot.”

Hitoshi stared blankly at it. After a moment he took it and was pulled to his feet. Joker smiled, but Hitoshi flinched back when Arsene inched closer, watching the purple boy for any sign of treachery. 

“Well, this isn’t how I wanted this to go. Now the cat is really out of the bag.” Joker said with a long sigh, “Mona would be laughing at us or calling us idiots. Probably both.”

“Y-you said…” Hitoshi cleared his throat, “You said before that you were quirkless, but that _costume_ appeared out of thin air a-and your creature did too… How is that _not_ a quirk?” 

“We are not quirks!” Arsene snarled, “Treat our power with more respect!”

Hitoshi jumped back from Arsene, hands up, “S-sorry!”

“Arsene, enough.” Joker shook his head, then eyed the other boy, “Are you okay? They can be… overprotective.”

“I-I’m fine.” Hitoshi took a breath and scrubbed at his face. “This’ll give me nightmares, but I deserved that to be honest.”

“Hmph. I’m not going to apologize for your own desperate idiocy.” Arsene muttered as he crossed his arms, “Be thankful that the Trickster is merciful, _boy_. I would not have held back otherwise.”

“Arsene, you scared him in the first place! You should-”

Joker did a double take. Arsene’s other wing was tattered. Inky black feathers were frayed and missing, uneven patches already growing back. Joker winced at the mess of matted flesh, eyes jerked up to Arsene, who suddenly took interest in the brick walls. 

“What happened to your wing!?”

“Nothing to worry about.” Arsene shuffled his damaged wing, “I am fine.”

“You are not _fine_.” Joker put his hands on his hips, “You only have half a wing! You called me a liar when I said I was fine, so don’t pretend you’re fine now!”

Hitoshi’s eyes darted in between them as they bickered.

“Your health is far more valuable than mine, but unlike you, my health is perfect!”

“You know that’s not even possible. _Your_ health basically is _my_ health!”

Arsene averted his gaze as he crossed his arms. The small dip in his wings and his raised chin made him look like a pouting child, something that didn’t belong on an ethereal being. Hitoshi held in a snort. 

“Fine, act innocent all you want.” Joker pinched the bridge of his nose, “But we’ll be talking about this later.”

“Fine.”

Hitoshi laughed. Arsene and Joker turned to stare at him. Arsene’s low growl earned a harsh nudge from Joker. 

“S-sorry,” Hitoshi whispered as he scratched the back of his neck. “It’s just, you two are like a father and son pair right now. It’s kind of funny?”

Joker blinked and stared up at Arsene, who went rigid. A grin split his face, in contrast to the sickly pallor and dark bags under his eyes. He gestured to the persona.

“Well, the others do call him Bird Dad-”

“Trickster!”

Hitoshi chuckled at Arsene’s raised pitch.

“What?” Joker continued with a shameless grin, “It’s true and you know it. Would you like somebody else to come out and confirm it for you? I’m sure they would love to tell Hitoshi all of your embarrassing—”

“Alright, you’ve made your point!”

Arsene shook his head. The last of his evil, demonic image bled away with pure exasperation. He ran his clawed hands down his mask and sighed. Arsene scanned Joker head to toe, then stared at the other boy. Hitoshi was smirking. Although he still had awe in his eyes, there wasn’t an inkling of fear left.

“Bah, kids these days…” Arsene muttered before he was gone in a whisper of cerulean ashes.

Joker looked down at his hands as he ignored Hitoshi’s blatant stare. The pain ebbed away, but his costume felt a bit… off. He still had the billowing tailcoats, his vest and sharp boots, his blood red gloves and mask. Maybe he was just imagining things. He shook his head and cast his costume away, the wind snuffing out the embers.

The full exhaustion of the past ten minutes hit him like a truck. The world spun, and Akira collapsed against the wall with a pained grunt, clutching his head. 

“H-hey…” Hitoshi reached out for Akira, “Are you okay?”

“I’m just tired,” Akira blinked several times, “ I’ve never seen Arsene _that_ angry before. Summoning them usually takes a lot out of you, but that was on a whole new level.”

Hitoshi ducked his head, the tips of his ears turning red.

Akira sank to the cold concrete, his energy depleted. He huffed as he leaned back on the wall, arms splayed over propped up knees.

“So, what do you plan to do now that you know?” Akira blinked up at Hitoshi, “Are you going to turn me in?” 

“No way! Why would I do that?” Hitoshi sighed and collapsed against the wall next to Akira, brow pinched together, “I just told you that you were my _hero_ andI didn’t run away despite Arsene scaring the ever living shit out of me. Why would I turn my hero in to the police? A lot of people are blaming the bounty for all of this chaos in the first place!”

Akira tilted his head, “Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll… fill you in later.” Hitoshi glanced at Akira, his hands knotted into fists, “I’m sorry. F-for almost using my quirk on you. It wasn’t right, but I really had to know if you were Joker or not.”

“Why?” Akira narrowed his eyes, “Why would you go so far? Arsene could’ve killed you for one, and now you could lose my friendship. Do you really think it was worth it?”

Hitoshi whipped around to stare at him, fear glinted in his eyes, “Y-You’re still my friend, right?”

“I don’t know.” Akira sighed, “It depends on your answer.” 

Hitoshi flinched as if struck, then he curled into himself. His shoulders trembled. He blinked tears from his eyes and cleared his throat.

“I… I just…”

Akira gave him a moment. The other boy opened and closed his mouth several times, but his voice died in his throat. Akira closed his eyes and listened to the rain as Hitoshi gathered his thoughts. He heard the sharp sigh and the tone of somebody who’s lost all hope. 

“I’ve always wanted to be a hero, but having a brainwashing quirk makes you a villain in most people’s eyes.” He said, lost to distant memories of jeers and constant pain. “There’s no hope for somebody like me.”

Akira opened his eyes to study Hitoshi, “I’ve heard there are underground heroes who do well enough. Why not try being one of those instead?”

Hitoshi scoffed, “Even so, you’d still have to get into the Hero Courses for that. I would have a better chance at winning the lottery. I failed the entrance exam and botched my _one_ chance in the Sports Festival. Being a cool vigilante like you might be the only way.”

“I understand where you’re coming from, but are you sure this is what you want? Are you alright with breaking the law?” Akira shook his head. “The police wouldn’t be so nice to you if they discovered your secret, and I would hate to see you or your parents getting hurt.”

“You’re not even going to consider it?” Hitoshi’s eyes hardened as he stared at Akira, pushing himself from the wall and stumbling to his feet. “I won’t accept that. I’m prepared to do anything! I know how to keep a secret. I know how to lay low and not draw any attention to myself! I’ve had to do it my entire life!”

Akira looked into Hitoshi’s eyes sparked with desperation.

No, it was stronger than desperation. Every fibre of Hitoshi’s being wanted to tear down the system that had treated him like a doormat. Conviction radiated from him. Akira’s eyes slowly widened. He stared into these eyes countless times back home, from the other Thieves as they ripped off their masks for the first time, to those he’s encountered on the streets.

Yoshida conquering his self esteem issues. Iwai breaking away from his shady past. How Chihaya overcame her steadfast feelings over fate. 

Hitoshi…. he was just like them. Alone. An outcast within society. 

_“I’ve said this before, but we are in need of allies.”_ The Caped Warrior whispered, _“I observed how resourceful he can be during the Sports Festival. He can be of use. His quirk is invaluable in a world such as this. Who are we to throw him away after he’s shown such sincerity?”_

_“He’s right,”_ Arsene grumbled, _“We should not waste an opportunity when it presents itself.”_

 _“Are you just saying that because you regret what you did to the boy?”_ Yatagarasu asked.

 _“I didn’t know Bird Dad could feel regret!”_ Alice giggled.

_“...”_

_“Let’s leave Arsene be, for now.”_ Titania said, _“But I agree that we should take this boy under our wing. He seems to understand the dangers of such a decision.”_

“I….” Akira deflated with a long sigh. “Fine.”

Hitoshi perked up, “Really!?”

“Really. But you’re going to have to work harder than you’ve ever worked before.” Akira shook his head, “I can teach you some basics, but I don’t want to make you any promises. I’m done breaking my promises. Just be patient with me, alright?”

“I… I guess that’s fair.”

Akira furrowed his brows as a thought occurred to him. He was _terrible_ at keeping secrets.

How is he going to explain all of this to Morgana?

“Let’s go back inside,” Hitoshi reached down a hint of a smile on his lips, “We’ve been out here long enough.”

“Yeah…”

Akira took his hand and was on his feet in seconds. He swayed momentarily, but he waved off Hitoshi’s concern.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Risumi poked her head out.

“Boys, there you are!” She stepped out and rounded on them, her hands on her hips, “We were worried when we couldn’t find you! And Kurusu, you shouldn’t even be out of bed right now! You were supposed to wake us up, Hitoshi!”

“Sorry, mom.” Hitoshi muttered.

“I thought getting some fresh air would help?”

Akira sheepishly grinned as the woman shook her head.

“You’re lucky it’s not raining cats and dogs anymore! Come on, both of you,” She grabbed their arms and dragged them inside. “You’ll catch colds out here. Hitoshi, please go tell your father to start on breakfast.”

“Right…”

Hitoshi’s eyes lingered on Akira for a few moments before he raced back upstairs. Risumi said nothing as she watched her son leave, her hand still locked on Akira’s arm. She turned to look at him for several moments.

“What?”

“Did something happen between you and Hitoshi? He seems better than he was before. He was really worried about you, you know.”

Akira shrugged, “We just had a talk, that’s all.”

“I see, I’m glad he’s finally opened up again.” She studied him for a few moments, “Would you like to go upstairs to rest?”

“I…” Akira glanced at the other door, “Can I sit in the cafe for a bit? I think it would make me feel better.”

“Of course,” She gently ruffled his hair. “You’ll have the best seat in the house!”

Akira snorted as she held the door open. She turned on the lights and finally let go of Akira so he could sink into the closest booth. He leaned back and closed his eyes, savoring the moment of peace.

“Would you like some coffee to start? You haven’t eaten much of anything in almost four days. You should go slow so you don’t upset your stomach.”

He smiled, “I would like that.” 

With a firm nod, she went behind the counter, cups clinking together as she worked. Hitoshi returned a few moments later, beelining for Akira. He slipped into the other booth, propping his chin on his hand.

“Could I borrow your phone?” Akira asked, “I should probably call somebody.”

“Oh.” Hitoshi blinked and dug in his pocket. “Sure.”

Akira looked down at the device, “Really? You have Arsene as your background? How did you even get a clear image from that video anyway?”

“Shut up!” Hitoshi turned beet red as he lowered his voice. “I… I still think he’s cool, even after what just happened in the alley. If anything, that just made him even more awesome. Absolutely _terrifying,_ but awesome.”

Akira huffed with laughter. Finally, he dialed the one and only number that he’d memorized from this world, but his thumb hovered over the call button. A mounting sense of dread built up as he stared at the number. Hitoshi’s eyes flicked between Akira and the phone.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” He said, “I’m just wondering how long I have to live after this phone call.”

Hitoshi raised a brow as Akira finally pressed the call button. The tone trilled once.

_“H-hello?”_

Aiba sounded so afraid, voice scratchy as if she had been crying. He could imagine her puffy red eyes, too.

“So…” Akira tried and failed to keep his voice level. “I’m alive?”

_“YOU-!!”_

Akira held the phone away from his ear. Hitoshi jolted back from the volume and blinked rapidly.

_“YOU HAVE SOME NERVE MISTER! Ho-how could you do this!? How dare you worry Kaito and I like this!! And Morgana…. You can’t…. you…. you’re such a jerk!”_

He put the phone back to his ear when she sniffled. Akira heard Tobita soothe her in the background.

 _“I won’t forgive you, you know!”_ She said, hiccuping, _“Y-you don’t pick up your phone, o-or try to call us earlier! We’ve been worried sick for days!! What the heck is wrong with you!?”_

“Sorry, I was out cold the whole time.”

She sucked in a breath, _“You were? Are you alright?”_

“I…” He bit his lip, “It’ll take some time to recover. I’ll have to explain everything later.”

_“Well good! Maybe this whole mess will teach you to slow down! Also, Gentle and I are coming to Musutafu!”_

“What? You don’t have to do that!”

_“Too late! My boys need me and there’s no way you can convince me otherwise! The lines will open up now that the storm is calming down. You’re in so much trouble when we get there!”_

“I guess I deserve it for worrying you.” Akira snorted, “Could… could you call Kaito and tell him that I’m at the Blue Lotus Cafe? I don’t have his number and he deserves to know.”

_“Yeah! He and Morgana have been searching for you nonstop, I’ll let them know right away.”_

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

 _“You better!”_ She took a moment to gather herself, _“And Akira?”_

“Yeah?”

_“... Nevermind. I’ll tell you when I see you in person!”_

She hung up. He blinked at the phone before handing it back to Hitoshi.

“You have weird friends.” Hitoshi deadpanned.

“I don’t know what I would do without them though.”

Risumi chose that moment to approach the table, steaming cups of coffee in hand.

“I suppose I’ll have to tell Ayumu to expect more guests?” She said, “Not that he would complain. The cafe has been closed so he hasn’t been able to bake anything.”

“Maybe.” Akira winced, “Expect at least one person and a very angry cat.”

Hitoshi and Risumi exchanged glances while Akira prepared for his doom.


	34. My Homie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunions are nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank my betas Lofti Lofi, Mystik_Owl, and Gundoru for helping with this chapter! ^^

Akira looked at his plate. The cinnamon roll, fresh from the oven, glistened with gooey frosting and a generous amount of warm spices, but it only made his stomach turn. 

“Hey,” Hitoshi said as he finished his third roll, “Are you going to eat that or not?” 

“No,” Akira pushed the plate away, nose wrinkling. “My stomach feels queasy right now. The coffee is helping though.”

“Wow. Not many people can resist dad’s cinnamon rolls.” Hitoshi leaned forward. “So does that mean I can have it?”

“Go ahead.”

“Sweeet.”

“Hitoshi!” Risumi cried from the counter, but it was too late.

Hitoshi swiped it and took a bite. Frosting and specs of cinnamon stained his lips, and he looked his mother in the eye as he took another bite.

“What? He said he wouldn’t eat it.”

“Boys.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed before meeting Akira’s eyes. “Please eat something, sweetheart. You need to keep your strength up to feel better. If the cinnamon roll was too much then I can make you some toast or something. What do you say?”

Akira shook his head and gently swished his lukewarm coffee. He missed how Hitoshi and his mother exchanged glances, and instead he focused on the smooth ceramic in his hands. 

_“She’s right.”_ Arsene whispered.

_“Well, if he doesn’t eat then one of us could just force feed him.”_

_“Titania, no. Just…. no.”_

_“Why not, Arsene? I’m just trying to look after our Trickster!”_

_“I’ll eat later.”_ Akira said. _“Sorry for the trouble.”_

 _“Don’t apologize.”_ Arsene shook his head. _“We only want what’s best for you.”_

The cafe’s door blasted open, and the wildly ringing bell shattered the silence. Risumi and Akira startled as the cold wind and rain swept into the cafe, and a few decorations rattled and fell to the floor. Kaito stood there with his hand on the door frame, panting. The storm had soaked him to the bone. His hair was disheveled, his water stained glasses wet and askew, and on his shoulder clung a familiar black shape.

Ayumu heard the commotion and slipped into the room. 

Kaito and Morgana scanned the cafe until they saw Akira. The Shinsou family cried out as the little black shape shot off like a rocket.

“Oof!”

Akira fell back into the booth when Morgana barreled into him. The force of the blast nearly sent his cup to the floor, but neither cared. Not with hos they clung to one another, how Morgana’s claws sunk into Akira’s clothes and poked at his skin, or how Morgana nuzzled Akira’s chin. It unraveled the knots in both of their hearts.

“Hey, it’s alright.” Akira sat up as Morgana buried his face in Akira’s neck. “It’s going to be okay. I’m right here.”

Morgana looked up at him, trembling, when gentle footsteps drew their attention. Kaito was watching him, and his pupils shimmered as he relived everything. From the dread of getting cornered by heroes, to the cataclysmic _pain_ of something deep inside of him shattering. All of the angry words and tangle of guilt and jumbled emotions that built up over the last few days just… dissipated. His shoulders fell as he took a long breath.

Kaito’s gaze softened, but it was inevitable. Kaito’s arm moved in a blur. Seth jumped into the role of Akira’s mask just as Akira’s teeth clattered together from the force of Kaito’s karate chop, but there was no pain. Only Seth purring in amusement. Akira blinked up at the man, as innocent as a fawn.

“I guess I deserved that?”

“Yes, you do.” Kaito grumbled as he crossed his arms. “That’s for worrying us half to death! Don’t even get me started on how frazzled Aiba was. Do you know how freaked out we all were? We thought that you… you were…”

“I know,” Akira bit his lip as Morgana nodded furiously. “I’m sorry.”

“Just…” Kaito’s soft hand landed on Akira’s head, he suddenly wouldn’t look him in the eye. “Just don’t do it again, alright?”

“I… I won’t.”

“You better not, or I might go gray before I’m 30.” Kaito ruffled Akira’s hair as he opened his mouth. “Don’t you dare make a joke about my hair color—I’ll give you another karate chop and ground you for an entire month. Don’t test me, kid.”

Akira closed his mouth when Kaito dropped his hand, but a shameless smirk took its place.

Hitoshi looked in between them, eyes narrowed. “Are you his dad?”

Kaito sputtered. It was the first time Akira had seen the man go so red. Morgana pressed his face into Akira’s chest to stifle his watery laughter. Risumi covered her mouth to hide her grin, Ayumu sprouted the same shameless grin as his son.

“N-No!” Kaito spat. “I just… he does stay with me, yes. But I am _not_ his father!”

“Huh. You would’ve fooled me.”

“Hitoshi!” Risumi stepped around the counter. “Don’t tease the poor man. He’s been through a lot.”

Kaito shook his head. Although his cheeks returned to normal, his ears were still red.

“It’s alright, Miss…?”

“Shinsou Risumi,” She said as she held out her hand. “My husband Ayumu is behind the counter, and my son, Hitoshi, is the one with the smart mouth.”

Hitoshi sheepishly grinned. Ayumu nodded at Kaito.

Kaito looked into their eyes. It was odd, the way Kaito stiffened and how his eyes glimmered, there and gone again within seconds. He suddenly looked older for some reason, not in the way of wrinkles or other age lines, just the way his eyes became a little more distant. He blinked a couple of times as if clearing his thoughts.

“You can just call me Kaito,” He shook her hand. “I apologize for the trouble this kid caused. You did thank them, right?”

“I…” Akira bowed his head towards Risumi. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

“Think nothing of it.” Risumi smiled and ruffled Akira’s hair. “We would do it again in a heartbeat.”

“Easy for you to say.” Ayumu leaned on the counter. “You didn’t have to carry him upstairs. Emiyo-san had both of her nephews carry him here.”

“Are you saying you wouldn’t bother?” Risumi asked. “Don’t lie to us and say you weren’t worried.”

“Well, no,” Ayumu gave Akira a hint of a smile. “But you’re damn heavy for a kid your age. I think you need to go easy on the curry.”

Kaito snorted as Risumi and Hitoshi exchanged glances. Akira blinked at the man several times. This was the first time he had been _nice_ since well, since they had first met. It was… a nice change. Strange, but nice.

“Anyway,” Kaito looked down at Akira. “Can you even make the trip back? You look like death warmed over.”

“It’s still windy outside too.” Hitoshi said as he rested his chin on his palm. “A breeze would knock you out.”

“I’m not carrying him again.” Ayumu said. “Once was bad enough.”

“I don’t think I could carry him if I tried.” Kaito mumbled.

“He could spend another night here?” Hitoshi suddenly straightened. “I could walk him home tomorrow.”

Kaito shrugged, clearly leaving the decision to Akira. 

“I’d be fine with that, but what about my cat?” Akira said as he huddled Morgana to his chest. “I don’t think he wants to go back with Kaito.”

Morgana squished himself against Akira. “Mreeow!”

“I don’t know if I should be insulted,” Kaito said. “Or touched that he doesn’t want to leave your side.”

“How can we say no to that?” Risumi chuckled. “He can stay too. Does he need anything?”

“I can come back and drop off some food.”

Ayumu raised a brow at Kaito. “And the lockdown?”

“What about it? I made it here just fine.” Kaito glanced down at his damp clothes. “Well, mostly. I know the alleyways like the back of my hand. The heroes won’t notice.”

“We have room for another if you wanted to stay?” Risumi said with a smile.

“I would, but I have to go back.” He turned to Akira. “We have guests coming after the storm calms down, after all. I should be there to get them settled in.”

Akira nodded, thankful that he was spared from Aiba’s wrath for another day.

“Alright!” Risumi clapped her hands together. “Then it’s decided. Hitoshi, you have an extra futon, right? Kurusu can use that. It’s better than the couch.”

“Got it.” Hitoshi stood and looked at Akira. “I’ll show you my room.”

Kaito frowned and watched Hitoshi like a hawk. His visions painted quite the colorful picture about what happened during Kurusu’s stay. What went down in the alley. The purple kid seemed trustworthy, but Kaito didn’t like this. _Any_ of this.

Akira waved at him, he and Morgana’s eyes met before the door closed. He didn’t like the sudden pit in his stomach when Akira disappeared behind the door.

Risumi sighed as she stacked the plates in a neat pile and went about cleaning the table. Ayumu stared at Kaito as he shuffled on his feet.

“Hey, Kaito.” Kaito raised a brow at Ayumu. “Is Kurusu….”

He opened and closed his mouth several times, but he couldn’t find the right words.

“Is he what?”

Ayumu shook his head. Risumi straightened one of the knick knacks that hung on the wall, then turned to Kaito with a furrowed brow.

“...Well, we don’t know what happened to make him so ill.” She said. “And he said something disturbing when he was really out of it. He… he implied that he was drugged and beaten before, and then after that he had a panic attack when we said we could call the police for him.”

Kaito flinched back. “He said that?”

“You didn’t know?” Risumi furrowed her brow.

“I… I didn’t. He hasn’t stayed with me for that long. Akira’s been a closed book ever since I met him, but I know he doesn’t trust adults that much.”

“I see.” Risumi grimaced. “That poor boy.”

“We aren’t planning to call the police anymore.” Ayumu leaned against the counter with an inscrutable expression. “I think we can pretty much put two and two together. Those bastards.”

Kaito clutched his chin in thought.

Most of Akira’s life was blacked out when his quirk first activated. The kid’s home life, his personality, his childhood, everything was barren except a few instances of ‘Palaces’ and hypnotic images of gods and mythical monsters, and of twisted human hearts and a demented subway that led deep underground. It made no sense to him. Why was his own quirk powerless when it came to those two? 

Kaito scowled. He didn’t know Akira all that well, but it was no wonder the kid didn’t trust people. 

“He might not want to talk about it.” Kaito said slowly. “That kid’s been through so much already, so I don’t think it’s a good idea to force anything out of him.”

“That’s an understatement.” Ayumu muttered.

“I think we should give him space so he can recover from this ordeal.” Risumi said with a nod. “But also let him know that we are trustworthy if he ever wants to talk to us.”

“Yeah.” Kaito sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I just hope he doesn’t bottle everything up.”

“Sorry for the weird questions.” Ayumu shook his head. “We’ll be sure to take good care of him.”

“...Right.” Kaito turned on his heel. “I’ll be back with a bag for him. He probably needs a change of clothes and a few other basic necessities. Morgana will want tuna for dinner, too. I’ll never hear the end of it if I forget his tuna pate.”

Risumi and Ayumu stared out the door after Kaito braved the storm.

“And he said he wasn’t the boy’s father.”

“Ayumu!”

Risumi reached over the counter and playfully hit his arm.

Meanwhile, Hitoshi opened the door and let them inside. Morgana’s eyes flicked around the homey little apartment above the cafe, climbing up Akira’s arm and perched on his shoulders for a better view. It was much larger than Leblanc’s attic.

“Okay, so please don’t be mad at me.” Hitoshi firmly shut the door behind them and reached into his pocket. “But I kept your other phone hidden. I didn’t want them to get suspicious if you had multiple phones. The people who brought you here didn’t bother checking all of your pockets, but I hid this one so that my parents couldn’t find it.”

“Good thing the broken one was just a burner.” Akira huffed as Hitoshi handed it over. “Thanks for saving it.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Morgana narrowed his eyes as Akira tapped on his phone, but the screen stayed dark. The battery must've died.

With a sigh he shoved it in his pocket and glanced at Hitoshi. “How suspicious do you think your parents are?”

“Well, it’s kind of hard _not_ to be suspicious given the situation. I don’t think you need to worry about anything though. They are smart, but the situation with Silver Falcon taught us when to stay quiet about certain things.” Hitoshi waved down the hall once Akira swiped the broken burner from the coffee table. “By the way, do you even need those glasses?”

“Not really, but they are part of my disguise. I need to seem less threatening. They make my eyes look less intense, too.” Akira ran a hand through his hair and smirked, “Can’t have everyone fall in love with these gorgeous eyes, now can we?” 

“Oh my god.” Hitoshi rolled his eyes with a scoff. “How did I not know you had a bad sense of humor until now?”

“Hey, it’s not that bad!”

“Yeah.” Hitoshi opened the door at the end of the hall. “Suuure.”

Hitoshi flicked on the light. It was a smaller room too similar to Futaba’s. A bed and desk top took up most of the floor space, with a decent closet taking up one entire wall. The walls were bedazzled with posters. One was of Eraserhead, but it was slowly getting pushed out by a growing sea of black and red. The ‘Take Your Heart!’ clear for anybody to see. Arsene groaned. There was a figurine sitting on the desk.

Akira grinned at Hitoshi, who suddenly took interest in the far corner of the room.

“Don’t judge me.” Hitoshi said. “Sit wherever you want while I get the extra futon.”

Akira sank onto the corner of the bed. Morgana’s eyes never left Hitoshi’s back as he opened his closet and dug around. He cursed under his breath when he stubbed his toe on a stray box. A growing sense of dread plagued Akira, so he decided it was best to get this out now. Akira looked in between the two, and then sighed.

“Might as well get this over with.” Akira said. “Morgana, Hitoshi knows I’m Joker.”

Morgana’s fur bristled.

“Uh,” Hitoshi looked over his shoulder. “Why are you talking to your cat? Do you have a head injury we don’t know about?” 

Morgana jumped onto Hitoshi’s desk. The tip of his tail twitched and his eyes bore into Hitoshi.

“I am not a cat!” Morgana shouted as he glared at Akira. “And you, how did he find out!?”

“Oookay. Joker has a talking cat. That’s new, but honestly not surprising.” Hitoshi shrunk back and rubbed the back of his neck. “A-and it’s kind of my fault for being stupid and almost using my quirk?”

“Your fault!?” Morgana arched his back and hissed. “What _happened_? What did you do to him!?”

“Morgana!” Akira stood. “Calm down and let me explain. Hitoshi has known about me ever since we dealt with Stain. That’s why he was avoiding me before.”

“I-I didn’t know how to bring it up at first.” Hitoshi shook his head as he stared into Morgana’s eyes, pleading. “I didn’t tell anyone, I swear! B-but when the raid happened and he was brought _here_ …”

There was a beat of silence. Morgana didn’t move, eyes burning into Hitoshi as he stared at the floor. Akira gently caressed Morgana. He was ready to hold the not-cat back just in case. Hitoshi finally dragged out a sigh.

“I panicked.” Hitoshi’s hands curled into fists. “I handled it wrong and almost used my brainwashing quirk to force an answer out of him.”

Morgana stiffened, his eyes turned to ice. “You-”

“Morgana.” He glanced at Akira as he shook his head. “I already said it’s okay. Arsene retaliated. We worked it out in the end.”

“’Retaliated’ he says,” Hitoshi muttered. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life.”

“The way you make it sound,” Morgana said slowly. “Did Arsene manifest by himself, _without_ you actively summoning him?”

“He did.” Akira put a hand to his chest. “He somehow pulled it off, but… it was painful.”

“That’s…” Morgana’s iciness melted away and he sat down, ears swiveling. “You know that’s not normal, Akira. I’ve never heard of them acting of their own free will like that before.”

“Nothing has been ‘normal’ about our situation. Are you really surprised at this point?”

“I guess that’s true. We’ll have to talk about it more later.” Morgana snorted, but he turned sharply to Hitoshi. “And _you._ You’re lucky to be alive.I still believe that Akira trusts and forgives people way too easily. So if you ever think to betray us...”

A gust of wind blasted Hitoshi’s hair back. A few posters were torn from the walls and fluttered down to the floor.

“Then I promise you that I won’t hold back like Akira did.”

Akira sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I’ll keep your secret safe.” Morgana blinked as Hitoshi squared his shoulders. “And… I’m sorry. I never wanted to go that far, but I was in the heat of the moment and didn’t think things through. Is Arsene still mad at me?”

 _“Fine,”_ Arsene huffed. _“I forgive the boy, since he’s learned his lesson.”_

 _“Hmph, speak for yourself.”_ Ishtar hissed. _“This boy cornered the Trickster when he was weakened, but I promise that something like this will never happen again. I’ll make sure of it.”_

Vasuki angrily coiled his serpentine body and hissed, and the sound was like nails raking down a chalkboard. Seth’s thunderous growl rumbled through Akira’s head alongside Byakko’s warning snarl.

 _“Easy, everyone.”_ Arsene whispered.

“Arsene forgives you, but there are others that are still angry. You’ll have to earn our trust.”

“That’s…” Hitoshi sulked. “That’s fair.”

“Well, I guess that’s as good as we’ll get for now.” Morgana nodded. “Now that that’s settled, we should discuss the current situation. Are you up for that, Akira?”

“Sure.” Akira glanced at Hitoshi. “I don’t think I can go back to sleep this early.”

“Alright.” Hitoshi shrugged. “I’ll dig out the futon later. I haven’t caught Akira up to date yet, but how much do you know about what’s going on, Morgana?”

Hitoshi took a moment to gather the stray posters from the floor. 

Morgana blinked and tilted his head. “I… I was too worried about Akira to really look into things.”

Hitoshi nodded as he tossed the posters in his closet and shut it tight. Morgana climbed onto Akira’s shoulder as Hitoshi made his way to the computer and plopped himself down in the chair.

“Why don’t I catch you both up on all the craziness that’s been happening over the last few days. There’s been no shortage of excitement since the botched raid.”

“Is it really that bad?” Akira asked with a raised brow.

“It’s bad if you’re on the Hero Commission’s side.” Hitoshi turned on his screen and looked over his shoulder, smirking. “But people all over the country have been in support of Joker. Here, I’ll show you a video of the guy who started all of the protests.”

“There are _protests_?” Morgana asked, mouth agape.

“Here, watch this.”

Hitoshi pulled up a video. Akira leaned on the desk to watch, Morgana gave the screen his utmost attention as it played. They recognized a street from Akihabara, where dozens upon dozens of people clad in black and red marched all holding signs and enlarged calling cards. Almost all of them wore Joker’s mask.

_“Excuse me, sir!”_

The reporter was barely audible over the shouts around her. She stuck the microphone into the face of a man standing on a podium. Well, he was a lizard more than a man. His green scales glinted dully in the light and his bright purple hair swept down over his back. Morgana gasped.

“Is he wearing your costume?”

A smirk sprouted on Akira’s face. “Yup.”

“A cheap knockoff.” Hitoshi added.

The lizard man’s tail poked out from between the flowing tailcoats. His vest and pants were the wrong colors, but Akira couldn’t fault him for that. An enlarged version of Joker’s mask was fitted to his reptilian face. He grinned down at the camera as the woman continued.

_“Word on the street is you’re the one that began these protests! Can you share your reason for doing so!?”_

The lizard man hopped down from the podium and snatched the microphone.

 _“Because the Hero Commission is corrupt!”_ He cried. _“The only reason they attacked Joker is because he’s a true hero that beat the system! He’s saved so many people while the heroes all sat on their asses or abused other people for their personal gain! Who are we to stand by on the sidelines while the HC continues to abuse their power and hurt Joker!? We’re going to support Joker no matter what! Isn’t that right!?”_

The crowd around them roared, hoisting their signs higher. The lizard man’s grin widened and he stared directly into the camera.

_“Yo, Joker! My name’s Spinner and I’ll forever be your #1 fan!”_

He tossed the microphone to the reporter before jumping back on his box. They couldn’t hear what he shouted out to the crowd, but their responding cries deafened the reporter, who glanced into the camera with a shell-shocked expression. The feed suddenly cut out and the video ended.

“Wow.” Morgana looked over at Akira. “It’s nice to see people be so proactive.”

“That’s an understatement.” Hitoshi clicked out of the video and opened a few more tabs. “There are protests all over the country now because of that guy. In addition to the petition-”

“There’s a _petition_?” Akira gaped. “A petition for what?”

“To rescind your bounty.” Hitoshi cracked his knuckles and clicked on an article about the protests. “The last time I checked it was nearing a quarter of a million signatures. It’s been a few days, so it’s probably more than that now.”

“That’s… that’s insane.” Akira felt warmth blossoming in his chest.

Morgana was in awe, but he pushed it down as he looked at Hitoshi.

“This is crazy. For people to have so much support for Joker in such a short time is amazing.” He said, eyes wide. “Protests and petitions… is there anything else that we should know about?”

“Oh, this is just scratching the surface.” Hitoshi chuckled. “It’s not only everyday people, but there are heroes sticking up for you, too. Which is surprising. Not to mention how the HC got _scolded_ by the principal of U.A.”

Akira and Morgana stared at each other, eyes impossibly wide.

“Alright.” Akira said. “Tell us _everything_.”

They spent the next few hours absorbing the chaos that broke out across the country.

~*~*~*~

Manami shoved her clothes into a bag and wrenched the zipper shut. Or she would have, if her bag wasn’t on the verge of exploding and the zipper didn’t catch on one of her shirts. She tugged at it, but the fabric was ensnared.

“Oh, come on!” She muttered under her breath. “I don’t have the patience for this!”

Manami yanked on it one final time, the _snap_ of metal echoed in her ears and made her lose balance. She blinked rapidly when she fell on her backside, the cold little zipper dug in her hand, the swollen bag burst open and spewed her clothes over the floor. She stared at her palm, the silver piece reflected dully in the light. It was the same color as Akira’s eyes.

She shook her head as her eyes burned, her hand clenched over the piece of metal. There was a knock on her door as she buried her face in her hands.

“Manami, are you…?” The door creaked open and Tobita’s footsteps come close. “Oh my. Are you alright?”

“I-I just…” She looked up at him, hot tears spilled down her face. “M-my bag! The zipper broke and I… I don’t know what to do!”

Tobita’s eyes softened as he looked between her and the ruined bag. He knelt down and put a firm hand on her shoulder, the other dug out a red handkerchief from his pocket. His smile was so gentle as he cleaned up her face, and then enclosed her hands within both of his.

“Manami, I know you’re not crying over the bag.”

“N-no, you’re right.” Her pigtails bounced as she shook her head with clenched eyes. “It’s just… I know Akira is safe. S-so why do I still feel this way? Why does it still hurt _so much_!?”

“It’s because you care for him so deeply. It’s never easy to see a loved one missing or injured as he was.” Tobita said as he squeezed her hands. “But remember that he _is_ in good hands and that we’ll be seeing him first thing tomorrow. Perhaps you can use some of that ‘Tiny But Mighty’ energy to knock some sense into him. I’m quite sure that Kaito, Morgana, and I will join in, too.”

Manami chuckled, despite how fresh tears dripped down and stained Tobita’s gloves.

“You’re right.” She sniffled. “He’s going to be in so much trouble when we get there!”

Tobita beamed. He gently cleaned the rest of her tears and handed over the handkerchief.

“Now, as for your bag…” He stood and stroked his beard. “How about we have a relaxing cup of tea before heading downtown? There is a small boutique that would have everything you need.”

“A-are you sure?”

“Of course! One cannot travel when their luggage is in such a state!” He reached out to her.“Shall we go?”

Manami scrubbed away the last of her tears and reached for his hand, her smile grew until it matched his.

“Yes, let’s go!”

His hand was so warm that she forgot about the cold zipper. 

~*~*~*~

Akira’s reflection stared back from the steamy mirror.

His own silver eyes were as dull as a worn knife, his milky white skin showcased the purple bruising under his eyes. Akira’s hair, still damp from the shower, framed his face in drab strands. His vision flickered for a moment. Ashen white skin, blotchy bruises all across his body, the dreaded creak of fractured bones, the too loud click of a pen in a dark room-

He shook his head to clear it.

_“Trickster…”_

Akira looked back into the gold rimming his pupils.

 _“Stay in the present. You are not in that dreaded interrogation room,”_ Arsene’s presence curled around Akira like a cloak, the brush of feathers whisper soft. _“And you never shall be in one again if_ _we_ _have anything to say about it.”_

Soft voices echoed in agreement behind Arsene.

_“You’re right. Sorry, I’m just tired.”_

_“We know,”_ Arsene murmured. _“Come, let’s not worry the Magician.”_

Akira huffed as he reached for his glasses and took a final glance in the mirror. Kaito was nice enough to pack a comfortable t-shirt and baggy sweatpants. Satisfied, he left the bathroom. He took a moment to listen to Risumi and Ayumu’s voices down the hall, but he couldn’t make out their words. His silent footsteps trailed to Hitoshi’s room. 

“You run this whole server by yourself?”

Morgana sat on Hitoshi’s lap, staring at the screen.

“Yup. There are a whole bunch of other servers and forums centered around Joker now, so mine is pretty small in comparison. I don’t mind it though.”

“But you don’t tell these people anything, right?”

“Of course not.” He said as he scrolled through the chat. “It’s more fun to just let them chat and theorize about Joker’s powers. Plus, I really don’t want to piss anybody off. I learned the hard way from Arsene.”

“Arsene will be the least of your worries if you do anything to betray our trust.” Morgana chirped. “There are others that would do worse.”

“Oh joy.” Hitoshi deadpanned.

Akira smirked. “I see you two are getting along.”

“Akira!” Morgana hopped down from Hitoshi’s lap and onto Akira’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“A shower helped me feel a little more human.”

“You still don’t look that great, though.” Morgana’s eyes softened. “But that’s to be expected after what you’ve been through.”

“You really need to take it easy,” Hitoshi said as he leaned back in his chair. “Give yourself time to heal.”

There was a knock on the door and it opened. Risumi smiled as she stepped in. Akira’s stomach gurgled when the scent of curry overtook the room, wafting from the delectable plates she balanced on one arm.

“I figured you boys would be hungry.” She said as she handed them the plates. “Just eat it slow, alright Kurusu? I don’t want you getting sick.”

Akira nodded as he stirred it. “Is this my curry?”

“Yeah. We had some leftover from a few days ago, which is a miracle in itself.” She leaned against the door frame. “A lot of people claim that it makes them feel healthier, so I’m hoping it’ll work for you too.”

Akira nodded.

“Did you and dad already eat?” Hitoshi asked as he shoved a spoonful in his mouth.

“We did. We’re turning in early too. We’re going to open the cafe tomorrow now that the storm is dissipating. Kurusu, don’t worry about any shifts until you’re feeling better.” She sighed and placed her hands on her hips. “I let this go earlier, but I’m not leaving until you take a bite, Kurusu.”

Morgana and Hitoshi looked at him expectantly. The traitors. He scooped up a decent amount and shoved the spoon in his mouth. As usual, it was delicious. His stomach settled with a pleasant warmth as the delicate spices still danced on his tongue. The tension drained from Risumi’s shoulders and her eyes softened.

“Good. Keep eating if you can, Kurusu.” She turned and reached for the doorknob. “Don’t you boys stay up too late, alright?”

“We won’t.” Hitoshi said with curry sauce on his lips.

“Oh,” Risumi blinked at Akira. “Does Morgana need anything before I turn in?”

“No,” Akira nudged the small duffel bag on the futon. “He has all he needs in here.”

She stepped away from the door and ruffled both of their hair.

“Good night, boys.” Morgana chittered and stared up at her with sparkling eyes, to which she chuckled, “Good night to you too, Morgana.”

Risumi gently scratched Morgana under the chin before she left the room, closing the door behind her. Hitoshi swiveled in his chair to stare at Morgana.

“And you say you’re not a cat.” He deadpanned.

“Because I’m not!”

Akira sat down on the futon. He dug through the bag and got out the can of tuna. Morgana beamed as he hopped down from Akira’s shoulder and tucked in, his tail tapped away happily. Hitoshi looked unimpressed.

“Right. If you’re not a cat then what are you?” Hitoshi scooped up another spoonful of curry, “You look like a cat, act like a cat, you’re eating _tuna_. You even meowed at my mom a few times.”

Akira stifled his knowing grin, and instead took small bites of curry.

“I… I just like tuna, okay!? What’s wrong with that!?” Morgana licked his chops. “You know what? I just don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just finish eating and then get straight to bed.”

Hitoshi avoided his eyes as he set the half-eaten plate on the desk.

“Eh, I probably won’t sleep anyway.”

Akira froze, spoon in his mouth, as he stared at Morgana. The not-cat stiffened, his fur slowly standing on edge. His large blue eyes stabbed straight into Hitoshi’s soul. Akira swallowed thickly and stared at Hitoshi with wide eyes.

“Uh oh.”

“Uh oh?” Hitoshi blinked as his eyes flicked in between them. “What do you mean by ‘uh oh’?”

“Morgana’s about to-”

“Don’t you know how important it is to get a good night’s rest!?”

“There it is.” Akira said.

Morgana left the tuna behind and scrambled onto the desk, tail thrashing as he was eye level with Hitoshi. “I’m not going to just sit around and watch while you stay up all night! It’s not healthy for you!”

Hitoshi gaped at Akira, who shrugged with a smirk.

“It’s better if you don’t fight it.” Akira deadpanned as his spoon scraped at the remaining curry. “Learning the hard way is not fun.”

Hitoshi had the gall to look betrayed as Morgana continued his relentless assault, sticking his nose in the air.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m here during this crisis, because now you can get a full eight hours of rest! You’re young, so you need all the sleep you can get-”

“Okay,” Hitoshi held up his hand. “I get it, but it’s not like I can _actually_ go to sleep. I have insomnia.”

Morgana tilted his head. “And?”

“And I’ve tried everything. Warm milk, meditation, tea, sleep aids.” Hitoshi sighed and scratched the back of his neck. “Nothing works. I’ve even gained a resistance to my mom’s quirk. So unless you have some miracle cure, then good luck.”

 _“I have Dormina.”_ Titania whispered.

Akira choked on his curry. The two of them flashed concerned looks and Hitoshi handed him a bottle of water. Akira took several sips to calm down.

“Are you okay?” Morgana asked.

“Fine,” Akira rasped. “Titania suggested we use Dormina on him.”

Hitoshi straightened. “ _Who_ wants to do _what_?”

“Oh!” Morgana grinned. “That could work!”

“Uh, hello?” Hitoshi glared at them. “You mind telling me what the hell is happening?”

Akira snorted. “Titania has a spell that can put people to sleep, it should be different from your mom’s quirk. She can try it out on you if you want.”

“Titania.” Hitoshi deadpanned.

Akira nodded.

“As in, the queen of faeries? _That_ Titania?”

“Yup.”

“Huh, so the theories online are true. There are some discussions about her.”

“She put out the fires in Hosu, if that’s anything to go by.” Akira set his water bottle down and looked at Hitoshi. “You want to try it out? It’ll get Morgana off your back, at least.”

Morgana beamed as Hitoshi dragged out an epic sigh.

“Fine. Let’s just finish eating first. I’ll take care of the dishes and make sure my parents are asleep before we do anything crazy. It’s been a long enough day.”

Akira chuckled, and they spent the rest of their dinner over small talk. Morgana chipped in here and there as he finished his tuna. Hitoshi took their plates when they were finished and left the room.

“I think having some food in your belly helped,” Morgana said as he studied Akira. “You’ve regained some color in your face.”

“Yeah,” Akira fidgeted with the end of his shirt. “I wonder if it has to do with how it healed us in the metaverse?”

“Hmmm, maybe.” Morgana licked his paw and washed his face, “We still don’t know the full extent of what our powers can do in this world. Like with Arsene materializing of his own free will, or how our items seem to be more powerful. We need to keep our guard up.”

“I know.” Akira pet Morgana’s head. “We’re doing the best we can right now.”  
Akira looked over his shoulder when the door opened.

“Okay. So my parents went to bed, but we shouldn’t make any loud noises or do anything too crazy.” Hitoshi closed the door and sat on the edge of his bed, fists resting on his knees. “Do you actually have to summon them to use your abilities, or…?”

Akira and Morgana exchanged glances.

“Not necessarily.” Morgana said.

Akira clutched his chin. “I wonder…”

“What is it?” Morgana asked.

“I want to try summoning Titania,” He glanced over at Hitoshi. “If that’s okay with you. I just need to test something.”

“Uh…” Hitoshi furrowed his brow. “It won’t set off the fire alarm, right? I’m surprised that Arsene didn’t scorch the alley.”

“We’ll keep it to a minimum. It’ll be fine. Hopefully.”

“Wow, what confidence you have.” Hitoshi said drily as he crossed his arms. “Fine. I don’t think anything else can surprise me at this point anyway.”

Akira pulled Titania into reality. There was a small lick of flames as he donned his costume and Titania materialized with nothing more than an azure spark. Hitoshi’s jaw dropped as she fluttered in the corner of his room. Her green dress shimmered like morning dew on blades of grass. Titania’s smile was gentle, but something about it sent off alarms in Hitoshi’s mind. He suppressed a shiver.

Joker hissed as he felt a twinge of pain. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as the pain flowed through his chest and up his spine, before it dug into his head.

“What’s wrong?” Titania’s face fell as she hovered over him, hands on his shoulders. “Are you injured?”

“I…” Joker shook his head. “I’m fine. I just felt weird for a minute, but it’s going away now.”

“Hmm,” She tilted her head as her hands tightened. “I think that pain is caused by Kohryu.”

Morgana’s ears perked up. “What do you mean by that?”

“Kohryu’s bond to the Trickster was almost severed because of Eraserhead.” She said, face souring as she turned to Morgana. “A part of our soul was almost eradicated, so it makes sense for the Trickster not to be… completely whole at the moment. Kohryu is in a deep sleep right now, but Ishtar and I have been watching over him.”

Morgana shivered and stared at Joker, eyes full of fear. Hitoshi’s face was ghost white as he looked in between the graceful Titania and the vigilante he admired.

“Ishtar and Kohryu?”

“Indeed, my dear boy.”

There was a rush of silk as she drifted in front of him with a flutter of her wings. She traced a dainty finger down his cheek, and he didn’t fight against the cold shudder down his spine.

“And don’t you go saying a word. Arsene was simply too nice. If we find out that you’ve betrayed the Trickster’s trust, then I can’t promise that you’ll get to keep your life. What I _can_ promise is a fate far worse than death. A young human boy like yourself would be quite the prize in my court. Keep that in mind.”

Hitoshi flinched back and gaped at Morgana. “Your warning was the least life threatening of the bunch.”

“Hey!” Morgana bounced on his paws. “I could be a lot more frightening if I really tried!”

“Pfft, sure.” Morgana rolled his eyes and Hitoshi stared at Joker. “I already promised not to tell anybody, so you can all relax. You guys can _trust_ me.”

Titania stared at him for several seconds. Her head slowly tilted to the side and a wicked smirk sprouted upon her face. Hitoshi leaned away from her, but stared into her eyes with a fire of his own.

“Fine, but you better tread lightly. But before we try the spell there is one thing I want to do.” Titania swayed in place. “Perhaps the Trickster can practice with my bond first? I want to see if any of our bonds were damaged alongside Kohryu’s.”

Joker raised a brow. “I don’t see why not?”

Hitoshi watched as Joker closed his eyes and concentrated. Morgana and Titania waited patiently. Titania’s bond appeared with a rustle of intertwined tree roots and blanketed by lush moss and flowering vines. An earthy scent overcame him. Joker put a hand to the vines and the flowers began to glow faintly. The light was warm and soft like a rejuvenating breeze at the start of spring.

Titania’s bond was nothing like Kohryu’s overwhelming Shimenawa. Hers was a far more docile power to tame. He opened his eyes as his costume vanished. Titania beamed as they felt a pang of jealousy from Ishtar.

“So, your costume is part of your power too?” Hitoshi whistled. “ _And_ you can use your friends without giving yourself away? That’s so broken.”

“You don’t even know the half of it.” Akira muttered.

“Well, the rest of our bonds are safe for the moment. Now that that’s settled.” Titania serenely turned to Hitoshi. “Shall we try Dormina?”

Hitoshi leaned away from her sickly sweet smile. “This won’t hurt, will it?”

“Don’t worry, boy.” Titania giggled as she snapped her fingers. “It’ll be quick.”

Hitoshi shivered as the magic was cast. A cool sensation washed over his body as his mind was cleared by enchanted winds. They waited a few seconds. He stared at his hands, then looked in between them with a furrowed brow.

“Well, I don’t feel any-”

Hitoshi fell face first into his pillows, snoring softly. The three of them were silent amidst the fluttering of Titania’s wings. Morgana jumped on the bed and sniffed at Hitoshi.

“Wow, he’s out cold!” Morgana cried. “Too bad we couldn’t use that on Ryuji when he was being too loud.”

Akira huffed. “Yeah…”

He stood and draped a blanket over Hitoshi. Morgana jumped down from the bed and rubbed against his partner’s leg.

“Why don’t we get some rest? You look exhausted.”

“I agree with the Magician.” Titania curtsied and bowed her head. “Have a good night, Trickster.”

With that, she disappeared. There were faint voices of congratulation from the other personas while Ishtar seethed in the depths of his mind. He shut off the lights then got comfortable under his blanket. Morgana snuggled right on his chest. His glasses were placed beside his charging phone and the inevitable pull of sleep made his eyelids feel heavy.

“Good night, Akira.”

“Night, Morgana.”

Arsene’s calming presence guided him to sleep.

~*~*~*~

A sudden knock on the door startled him awake. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, careful not to disturb Morgana, who’s head was right beneath his chin, little legs outstretched on either of his shoulders. Morgana’s claws poked into his shirt as if he were afraid Akira would disappear. Akira moved slowly as he checked his phone, which was now fully charged.

7:53 A.M.

… And 57 missed calls from Aiba and an entire novel’s worth of texts. Yikes. There was another soft knock. Hitoshi shot straight up with a gasp. He frantically looked around the room before gaping at Akira in shocked silence. Akira hid the phone underneath the pillow just as the door opened.

“Boys?” Risumi poked her head in. “Ah, so you two are awake.”

“Is it morning already?” Hitoshi said as he rubbed his eyes.

Morgana’s eyes fluttered open and he blinked several times as Akira shifted.

“Yup!” Risumi smirked. “Your father thought it was a good idea to do something different for breakfast since Kurusu stayed over.”

“Oh?” Akira fought against a yawn. “What are we having?”

“An American favorite,” Risumi beamed. “Pancakes!”

She ducked out of the room, and her soft footsteps ghosted down the hall. Hitoshi threw off his covers and stretched. He rolled his shoulders and rubbed the sleep in his eyes. That was the first full night’s rest he’s had in _ages_. He smiled as he looked at Akira. 

“Wow, that spell really worked wonders-”

He froze as he saw Akira and Morgana’s horrified faces.

Hitoshi didn’t ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I leave you guys there for the rest of the holidays! Please take care of yourselves during these hard times, okay? Eat some good food. Take a nap. Listen to your favorite music. Perhaps reread a favorite story? ;)


	35. Break It Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgana turned and locked eyes with Akira.
> 
> “Maybe I should try summoning him to see what happens.” 
> 
> “Please don’t break anything.” Kaito deadpanned. “Or I’ll have Akira pay for it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ;)

Enji sighed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He leaned back in his chair and glanced around his home office. Compared to the one at his hero agency, this was small with hardwood floors instead of polished marble. Although both desks were crafted from mahogany, the size of this one was modest in comparison.

 _Ping_.

Enji turned to glower at his computer screen. Yet another tabloid had sent him an email. Always snooping around for comments or an interview. He scoffed and sent it straight to the trash folder.

Another one took its place, and he was lucky that the happy little _ping_ didn’t drive him mad by now. He hesitated before sending this one to the trash.

 _‘Todoroki Children Defying Endeavor?’_

He narrowed his eyes and hovered the cursor over the email. It was from Juzo News. He’s gotten countless reporters on his tail ever since he was discharged from the hospital, and the most prominent question being why _his children_ began the petition to rescind the vigilante’s bounty, he was confidant that his one was no different.

The petition set off all the protests and chaos across the country, and it was only getting worse the longer Joker stayed out of the public eye.

He glared at his screen as he sent this one to the trash, too.

 _Ping._

Growling, he jabbed a finger at his monitor, crunching the little power button. The screen went dark, and he was left alone in the silence and with his own reflection. He stared back until he couldn’t look himself in the eye anymore. Instead, his eyes caught on the star shaped scar on his right forearm.

He still remembered it clearly.

_Screaming trilled over the comms._

_Endeavor’s hand flew to his earpiece._

_“What’s going on!?”_

_Nobody answered. Instead, one of the warehouses exploded into scrap metal, and a golden dragon arose from the debris. Its cry locked the district in pandemonium, leaving the others helplessly frozen in place. It was Endeavor who acted, launching his flames as the dragon flew over him._

_The dragon barreled towards him, and adrenaline coursed through his body. Then the dragon opened its great jaws. Its fangs were taller than him. He forced all of his power into the flames until they turned white, but the dragon’s scales deflected the attack._

_Searing pain exploded in his arm as two fangs pierced through his flesh, before he was thrown away as if he were nothing more than a pest. He remembered flying, falling, and he reacted with a blast of fire to slow himself down, but it was futile._

_There was a crash and then…_

_Nothing._

_He woke up in the hospital several hours later, and the vigilante was long gone._

He traced over his skin from the base of his wrist all the way to the elbow, feeling every bump and blotch, and the stitches over the two puncture wounds.

Enji snorted at the irony. 

Now he was scarred, just like his Shoto.

No, it was more than just Shoto. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Natsuo’s animosity, or Fuyumi’s quiet anxiety. Her refusal to look her father in the eyes?Why has he never noticed before? Was it that he was so blinded by the need to mold his _masterpiece,_ that he glossed over _everything_ else?

Like Shoto’s… unnatural stoicism and pure hatred for him.

_“For that one moment, I forgot about you.”_

That’s when it began. Shoto’s brutally honest words cast a tiny flash of light into the darkness of Enji’s hardened heart. Then, Hosu. Joker’s insane laughter echoing from the flames. The acrid scent of melted concrete and those glowing eyes peering straight into his soul like the gaze of the Devil himself.

The hellish eyes of Judgement had been upon him.

Enji experienced real fear for the first time in years, that fear which kindled an ember into an inferno, giving life to a beast that roared and thrashed about without mercy, demanding vengeance. A beast that fed on his internal misery throughout the live interview, licking its jaws through the bold disapproval of his fans in the aftermath, and growing fat on the current outrage from the raid.

But the worst blow was the retaliation from his children.

_The keys jingled as he tossed them on the side table and stepped into his home for the first time in days. The creak of his footsteps were like war drums. There was a clatter of dishes and panicked whispers from the kitchen. Enji’s stomach felt like a boulder as he hovered in front of the door frame._

_The whispers stopped as he opened the door._

_Enji’s children gaped at him. Natsuo was the first to react. His eyes pooled with such frigid anger that he lost control over his quirk. Ice crept over his fists and he stomped towards his father, leaving behind frosty footprints until he was less than a foot away._

_“You. What the hell did you do!?”_

_“Natsuo!” Fuyumi grabbed his arm and pulled him back._

_“Let me go, Fuyumi!” He wrenched himself from her grasped. “Was it worth it!? Joker was only trying to help people, and now, nobody knows what happened to him because of that stupid raid! What if he’s injured or worse!? He’s given hope to so many people and you just tear him down, a-and for what!? Because of your stupid pride!? Because Joker is a better hero than you’ll ever be!?”_

_“N-Natsuo!”_

_Fuyumi’s shaky hands hovered towards him and settled on his shoulders. He didn’t shake her off this time. Behind them, Shoto sat stock still at the table, though his eyes were wide and painted with the same rage._

_Enji said nothing._

_Natsuo wildly shook his head._

_“You know what?” He mirthlessly laughed. “I can’t even stand to look at you right now!”_

_Natsuo marched from the kitchen. His shoulder jarred Enji’s as he ran down to the entryway and threw open the door. Fuyumi chased after him, her eyes refusing to meet her father’s._

_“Natsuo, wait! The storm-!”_

_“I don’t care!” Natsuo shouted back. “I just can’t be in the same house as him!”_

_The door slammed shut. Silence permeated the mansion. Enji saw Fuyumi’s shoulders shaking as she hugged herself. A chair screeched on the floor, and Shoto simply walked past Enji as if he weren’t there. His hand brushed against his sister’s arm before he disappeared into his room, and his door shut with a soft click._

_“Fuyumi.”_

_She jumped out of her skin and whirled around to him, crying._

_“I’ll….” He cleared his throat and turned his back. “I’ll be in my office.”_

_“O-okay….”_

_Enji walked away as Fuyumi suppressed sobs as she headed into the kitchen._

That vengeful demon cackled in glee at the gnarled sprig of betrayal blossoming around Enji’s heart. He hasn’t left his office since. A knock on the door startled him. Scrubbing at his face, he forced himself to sit tall, and folded his hands on the desk so that the scar wouldn’t be seen.

“Enter.”

Fuyumi opened the door and slipped inside with a downcast face. The little cup of tea rattled against the plate in her hands.

“I…” Her eyes flicked around the room, looking everywhere except him. “You haven’t come out to eat anything yet, s-so I thought I would make you a cup of tea.”

She approached and set it on the farthest corner of his desk. He didn’t know why he reached out to her, but she reacted immediately, her face turning ashen as she startled back like a rabbit. 

“S-sorry,” Her voice shook as she pulled herself from his grasp and turned on her heel. “I should see if Shoto needs any help with his studies.”

He stood and she quickened her steps to the door.

“Fuyumi, wait.” She froze with hand locked on the doorknob. “Please, look at me.”

Her hand fell to her side as she turned, fingers twisting together. He didn’t know what hurt more; her fear of what he might do or the way she refused to look at him.

Enji sighed as he placed his hands on the desk. What should he say? What should _he do_? His hands have harmed his family more than any other.

“How is Shoto…. no, how are _all_ of you doing?” He bit out.

Why was this so difficult?

“Uh…” Fuyumi blinked several times. “Natuso is still at the dorm, refusing to come home. As for me, I’m doing… alright. Shoto… he’s doing fine. School will resume in a few days now that the storm is breaking.”

“Good. That’s…. good.”

Enji sank back into his chair.

Fuyumi shuffled on her feet.

“Did you know that Shoto visited Mom for the first time?” She asked softly.

“Yes. The hospital notified me.” He said as he stared at his clenched hands. “But that is not the only thing that’s been brought to my attention. I also know it was Natsuo and Shoto who began the petition for Joker.”

“N-no!” Fuyumi’s eyes widened, and she whirled around, her hands waiving wildly. “It… it wasn’t…. it’s not their fault! They…”

“You don’t have to lie to me. I’ve had some time to think everything through since the raid… Actually, I am _proud_ of them. Personally, I don’t agree with it, but they did what they thought was right. I am proud of you too, for always being at their side through thick and thin.”

Fuyumi’s jaw dropped and she finally, _finally_ , lookedinto his eyes. Grey, like Rei’s. 

“That is all I wanted to say.” He looked down and sighed. “Thank you for the tea. You may leave, if you wish.”

She snapped out of her stupor, blinking several times. Fuyumi fumbled for the doorknob and was gone in seconds, leaving him in ear ringing silence once more. Another sigh, an ever growing number, left his lips. He gazed at the cup of tea on the corner of his desk. It was ridiculously small in his hands, and he couldn’t help the snort as he brought it to his lips.

The amber eyed beast settled down as he savored the flavor.

Fuyumi’s tea tasted just like Rei’s too.

Fuyumi was just like her mother. Their eyes were laced in the same confusion and utter hopelessness from that night where Rei poured boiling water on Shoto. Enji closed his eyes to erase the memory, but her eyes were seared into his brain.

“Rei…”

~*~*~*~

Sunlight filtered through the clouds, a first after the storm. It painted Musutafu with the morning’s first golden rays, warming the inhabitants with new hope. The lockdown had officially ended and a few people were out and about gauging the damage to the city.

“So, let me get this straight.” Akira looked away from the clouds to Hitoshi. “You live in a cafe?”

“Yup.”

“That’s—” Hitoshi shook his head. “That’s a little weird.”

“Hey, you’re one to talk!” Morgana poked his head out of Akira’s bag. “You live in a cafe too!”

“W-well that’s different! Our whole apartment is above the Blue Lotus, but the way you put it is that this is just an _internet_ cafe.” Hitoshi glanced between Akira and the Raven’s Nest down the street. “How can you live in a tiny cubicle?”

“Don’t worry so much. It’s actually not that bad.” Akira put a hand on Hitoshi’s shoulder as they stopped at the door. “Having a roof over our head is better than sleeping in the streets, but please don’t tell your parents where I’m living though. They have enough to worry about.”

“I guess when you put it that way…” Hitoshi’s eyes softened. “Still, it doesn’t sit right with me that you don’t have anyone to look after you. Have you guys been alone this whole time?”

Morgana sucked in a breath.

“No. Everyone is gone.”

Hitoshi flinched, and Akira opened the door before he could respond. The little bell rang as they stepped inside.

Kaito’s head snapped up at the sound, and he stood, eyes scanning over Akira. There was a little more color in his face, but it was nowhere near what was healthy.

“You—”

The lounge door burst open. Hitoshi jumped back as a little red blur crashed into Akira’s legs and almost sent the both of them tumbling.

Aiba took a step back and balled her tiny hands. Tobita hovered at the door frame like a silent vigil.

“G-get down here, mister!” She cried.

Akira blinked rapidly as he knelt in front of her and ducked his head to avoid her eyes, dropping the bag from his shoulder to let Morgana hop out. He glanced in between the two, and stepped closer to Aiba when he saw Akira’s lips tremble. 

“Aiba.” Morgana whispered. “I can explain-”

“No! Just… just let me see your face first, Akira.” She reached up to grab his shoulders. “Please?”

Akira lifted his head. Aiba let out a shaky breath as she placed her hands on his pale cheeks, and her thumbs grazed the bruising under his eyes. Aiba bit her lip as she stared into those eyes. The bright silver was dulled and the brilliant gold around his pupils was gone.

“Oh, you…!” She punched him in the chest, but her tiny fist was like the brush of a butterfly wing. “I gave you a chance and you totally blew it! W-we thought that you were captured or _worse_ when there was no news about you, a-and then with your disappearance a-and I couldn’t even use my hacking to locate you!”

The dam broke and Akira curled into himself when her heavy tears plopped on the floor. 

“But how can I stay mad at you when you look like this!?”

Morgana huddled beside Akira, ears flattened. 

“I’m sorry.” Akira shook his head. “I didn’t mean to worry you all so much.”

“Y-you better be sorry…” Aiba leaned forward and put her forehead on his chest, all of her spitfire extinguished. “Just don’t do something like this ever again!”

“I…” Akira wrapped his arms around her with an exhausted chuckle. “I’ll try not to.”

Hitoshi’s stomach dropped to the floor. He glanced away as if he were intruding on something private. The mask that Akira kept up during his stay at the Blue Lotus was cracking, and it was only doing so because he was with people he _trusted_. Kaito stepped in between him and the trio on the floor, gently clearing his throat.

“Thanks for bringing him back here.” He whispered as not to disturb them. “But you better get back home.”

“R-right. My dad baked these for you guys.” Hitoshi handed Kaito a large paper sack, and his gaze lingered over Akira. “You’ll take care of him, right? He means so much to a lot of people.”

“You can count on it. He’s just as important to us.”

Hitoshi nodded. His footsteps were silent and he was careful not to ring the bell as he left through the door. Kaito ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at the bag in his arms, which smelled of mouthwatering spices and sugar. They’d unpack it later.

For now, he turned towards Akira and the others, and he shared a look with Tobita.

He was the next to move. He knelt down next to Aiba and Akira and placed a soft hand on either of their shoulders with a kind smile and warm eyes.

“Why don’t we all go into the lounge?” He asked. “I have a superb pot of tea brewing, so we can all get comfortable and have a talk. How does that sound?”

Aiba pulled herself back, and sniffled as she scrubbed at her face. Morgana rubbed against Akira’s legs, smiling up at his partner.

“It would be a lot better than sitting on the floor.”

Akira huffed. “Right.”

Aiba latched onto his wrists and dragged him into the lounge with Morgana at their heels.

“Thanks.” Kaito said as Tobita stood. “For taking care of Aiba after Akira went missing. The both of them haven’t had an easy life.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” Tobita’s eyes sparkled. “It’s vital to take care of each other in times of hardship. I’ve only known Aiba for a short time, and Akira even less, but I feel a certain connection to them that I haven’t had with anybody else. Plus, it is only natural to show kindness to those you care for.”

“Yeah, I feel the same.”

Tobita grabbed Akira’s bags from the floor, and they followed them into the lounge. Aiba had already pushed Akira onto one of the couches with Morgana splayed out on his lap, happily purring as Akira pet him. Tobita set Akira’s bags down by him and rushed to the whistling kettle. Kaito put the paper bag on the counter and went to sit on the couch arm, while Tobita prepared their drinks with an impressive flourish.

Akira mumbled his thanks as Tobita handed him the first cup, and he let its warmth seep into his clammy hands. Aiba spoke once the drinks were passed around and everyone was seated. 

“So…do you two want to talk about it?”

“I-it…” Morgana flinched. “It was all my fault.”

The others blinked in surprise.

“What? No it wasn’t! It was my fault for wanting to train for so long, or if we didn’t even go out in the first place…”

“But I was the lookout! It was my duty to keep an eye out for trouble and I failed! If I had just sensed all of those people earlier, then it never would’ve happened! We would’ve escaped without them ever finding us!”

Akira opened his mouth, but Kaito suddenly raised a hand.

“Look, what happened _happened_.” He set his teacup on the table, then laced his fingers together and leaned forward. “Playing the blame game will get you nowhere, nor will it change the past. Let’s learn from our mistakes so that we don’t repeat them in the future.”

Akira deflated. “...You’re right.”

“Of course I am,” Kaito said with a firm nod. “Now, tell us everything that’s happened.

“Well…” Morgana shifted so that he sat tall on Akira’s lap, “It all started with a race…”

And so, they spilled everything; from the race, to Shirogane, to his time practicing with Kohryu and then… the inevitable. 

“I tried warning Akira after I sensed them, but I was too late. I was cornered by Eraserhead and...” Morgana blinked and turned to Akira, “But what happened to you? The next thing I know Kohryu destroyed that warehouse.”

“I hid in the rafters after Kohryu’s warning.” Akira stared into his lukewarm tea. “I…”

_‘Enemies, here!? It can’t be!’_

_‘An ambush!?’_

_‘Joker, can you handle this!?’_

_“Freeze!”_

_‘Capture him!’_

_“Drop your weapon!” An officer shouted. “Drop it or we’ll shoot!”_

_‘Suspect confirmed. Cuff him!’_

_“No, stand down!” Midnight stepped towards him. “I’m sorry, kiddo. I’ll make this quick.”_

_The sickly sweet scent tickled his nose and he could feel himself falling-_

“Akira?” Aiba lay a hand on his arm.

He jolted so hard that the teacup slipped out of his hands and shattered on the floor. Kaito was at his side, and he almost placed his hand on Akira’s shoulder, but thought better of it. 

“Are you alright?”

Akira pinched the bridge of his nose as the last of the voices faded, though a headache took their place.

“I’m fine.” He grimaced. “Sorry about the tea.”

Aiba and Tobita shared an uneasy look. Morgana’s tail swished, and although it looked like he wanted to say something, he chose to stay quiet.

“Don’t worry about it.” Kaito left to grab a rag from the kitchen.

“Would you like another cup?” Tobita asked. “There’s plenty of tea to go around.”

“No, but thanks for the offer.”

The _clink_ of porcelain shards was the only sound as Kaito cleaned up the mess and threw the shards in the trash.

“You’re still tired.” Morgana whispered. “You need rest so that you can get better. How about we continue this later?”

“I already said _I’m fine._ I was just…” Akira scrubbed at his eyes, ignoring the way their concern gnawed away at him. “Midnight caught me and was about to use her quirk. If Shiva didn’t appear and turn that quirk against her, then I wouldn’t even be here right now. The rest of the story is already on the news.”

“Oh, Akira…” Horror flashed in Morgana’s eyes, and he nudged his partner’s chin.

“Hey, you can’t focus on that!” Aiba set her cup on the table and turned fully towards them, her eyes ablaze. “I would break you guys out if you got caught!”

“And I would help, of course!” Tobita nodded.

“Okay, that aside.” Kaito shifted on his feet as he stared at Akira. “So, we all know that you escaped, but what happened to make you like…. that?”

Akira forced a shaky grin. “Are you saying I’m ugly? Truly, you wound me.”

Morgana huffed and rolled his eyes.

“You know what he means!” Aiba slapped him on the arm. “How did you get so _hurt_? If you got away from the heroes, then why were you unconscious for three days!? Why do you still look so sick!?”

“It was Eraserhead.” Morgana suddenly spat, eyes lit with righteous fire. “ _He_ did this to Akira.”

“A _hero_ did this to you?” Tobita blinked several times.

“Not in the way you’re thinking.” Akira placed a hand over the twinge in his chest. “These creatures that I summon are as much a part of me as I am of them. We’re all tied together by our bonds, so when Eraserhead tried to stop Kohryu by forcibly erasing him, he inevitably tried to erase a part of _me_. This… is the result.”

Aiba gasped and covered her mouth.

“What of Kohryu, then?” Tobita leaned forward. “Is he…?”

“No. He’s still there, but barely.”

“Eraserhead probably didn’t know that this would happen.” Kaito said.

“And how would you know that?” Morgana glared at him.

Kaito huffed. “I’m just thinking objectively. He has a reputation for working with vigilantes and he’s a teacher at U.A., so I don’t believe he would intentionally hurt Akira like this.”

“And you know all of this how?” Morgana’s voice still had suspicion. “You seem to be pretty sure about this.”

Kaito pointed to his eyes. “My quirk allows me to see things from countless view points, so I learned how to string information together from multiple sources. I’ve been in Musutafu long enough to get a feel for nearly every hero in this town.”

“You really think he wouldn’t do this on purpose?” Morgana asked.

“No. Eraserhead is a rational man, but deep down he would care.”

“Akira gave him _one_ chance to earn our trust and he blew it.” Morgana chuckled, but it was a cold sound. “So excuse me if we can’t trust him as far as we can throw him.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Akira’s lips. “I’m sure Arsene would love to throw him.”

“I’ll get Mercurius to help!” Morgana chittered.

“Umm…” They stared at Aiba as she tilted her head. “So Akira explained some of his powers, but what about you, Morgana? Who’s this Mercurius? Is he related to Arsene?”

“I have to say,” Tobita stroked his beard as his eyes glimmered with fascination. “I’m also interested in the answer. It’s not everyday you come across a talking feline, much less a talking feline with a powerful quirk!”

Kaito raised a brow at Morgana. “I thought you just had a wind quirk?” 

“Well….” Morgana hopped onto the table. “That’s a bit hard to explain. Akira and I do have similar powers, but Akira’s a special case.”

Akira glanced at Morgana and bit the inside of his cheek. How much should they really say? Akira didn’t want to tell them everything, but fully hiding their powers might draw more suspicion.

“Where I can summon Arsene and several others,” Akira said slowly. “Morgana can only summon one.”

“And he’s the source of my wind abilities!”

“Actually, now that we’re talking about Mercurius,” Akira clutched his chin in thought. “Have you been able to summon Mercurius at all?”

“I…” Morgana’s eyes widened. “I haven’t actually tried. But, if I’m being honest, he feels off somehow. Different. And not in a good way, either.”

“Is there something wrong with him?” Aiba glanced in between her boys with a knotted brow. “Are you going to get sick like Akira?”

“You don’t have to worry about that! Hmm, I wonder.” Morgana hopped off the table and traipsed over to the center of the lounge. “Lately, he’s been feeling farther away, and his voice is harder to hear too. I never noticed before, but now…”

Morgana turned and locked eyes with Akira.

“Maybe I should try summoning him to see what happens.”

“Please don’t break anything.” Kaito deadpanned. “Or I’ll have Akira pay for it.”

“Hey!”

Morgana snickered. “I won’t. Just watch and learn!”

He closed his eyes and concentrated. A small breeze swirled around the lounge as a soft green light shrouded Morgana. Aiba and Tobita cried out as blue flames erupted, dousing them all in sweltering heat. Kaito covered his eyes at the brightening flames.

Akira’s personas gasped in delight. He kept his eyes on Morgana when he sprouted a smug grin, but he had stayed in his normal cat form as Mercurius stepped out from the flames. He floated through the air by the sweep of his winged boots and raised his staff high. Akira’s grin matched Morgana’s, but it didn’t last.

 _“Wait, Trickster.”_ Arsene whispered. _“Mercurius feels strange. Look at him, he’s not solid. He’s still transparent as if he were in the Metaverse.”_

“I-I…I feel…” Morgana wobbled.

Mercurius screamed, and there was a sudden _crack_ , like that of a mirror breaking. The flames sputtered and died, and Mercurius was nowhere to be seen.

Morgana gasped, collapsing on the ground.

“Morgana!” Akira flung himself from the couch and hugged Morgana to his chest. “Are you alright!?”

“I-I think I’m fine.” Morgana blinked several times as he leaned into Akira’s embrace. “Why didn’t it work!? Why don’t I still have all of my powers? I thought they would all be back by now…”

 _“Hmm, perhaps it is because the Magician is not well known to the public.”_ Arsene said.

Akira stilled. _“What?”_

_“Think, Trickster. Have you not grown in power ever since you waltzed into the public eye? How myself and many others have been stronger ever since that live radio interview or with countless videos showcasing our abilities? The Magician has not received such attention, thus Mercurius is weakened.”_

“That’s it.”

“What is?” Morgana blinked up at him.

“Arsene thinks it’s because you don’t have a public presence like I do. If we could test that theory and get your powers back-”

Somebody cleared their throat. Morgana and Akira flinched and looked to their forgotten audience.

“Do you mind telling us what the hell just happened?” Kaito waved his hand around the room. “You’re lucky that didn’t set off the fire alarm!”

“Sorry…” Morgana muttered.

“That was quite an impressive show!” Tobita stepped around Kaito and held out his hand. “Although the finale was… well, it was quite worrying.”

Akira took his hand, and Morgana climbed to his usual perch.

“I…” Morgana glanced in between Akira and the others. “I don’t have all of my powers.”

Morgana felt Akira stiffen under his paws, but he continued.

“I should be able to summon Mercurius like Akira can with Arsene or the others, but as you saw that failed.” Morgana shook his head and stared at the floor, ears drooping. “I think our powers draw strength from the cognition of the masses.”

“Really?” Kaito said as he scrunched his brow. “You two have weird quirks.”

“I’ve never heard of a quirk working like that before, either!” Aiba tapped her chin in thought. “So, if Morgana had more of a public presence like Akira, then you would be able to summon Mercurius normally?”

“That’s the running theory.” Morgana said.

Aiba beamed and clapped her hands together. “I can help with that!”

“You can?” Morgana jumped off Akira’s shoulder and raced to Aiba. “How!?”

“Social media!” She glanced up at Akira. “Do you remember that present I was working on for you?”

Akira raised a brow at her. “Yeah?”

“It’s not finished yet, so don’t get ahead of yourselves!” She jabbed a finger at them, grinning. “But I’m working on a program that will save all of your posts and followers. The police would be on your account in an instant, so even if they try to take it down, my program will just put everything back up again!”

Kaito’s eyes widened. “You can do that?”

“Yep!” Aiba placed her hands on her hips and jutted out her chin. “It’s not easy, but my hacking skills make it possible! You can thank me later.”

Akira snorted.

“But now the question is,” Tobita said. “What should your first post be?”

“We could just take a picture,” Morgana blinked up at Akira. “It should work as long as I’m in it.”

“Maybe, but I feel like a single picture wouldn’t be enough. We need something that would really draw attention to it.” Akira glanced over to Tobita. “What would you do for this sort of thing?”

“I’m glad you asked!” Tobita put a hand to his chest as the other waved towards Akira. “A showman always knows that the encore should be grander than the original curtain call! One simple photo will not do for your reemergence into the spotlight!”

Kaito narrowed his eyes.

“Oh, I know!” Aiba dug into her pockets for her phone, then tapped away at the screen. “How about…. this!”

They all leaned in to get a better look at the article.

“A hospital?” Akira asked.

“Not just any hospital.” She said. “This is Musutafu’s biggest civilian hospital. It’s been completely overrun since the hurricane injured so many people. They usually would’ve been taken care of in a pinch, but the doctors have been floored with so many patients that it’s impossible to keep up.”

Akira winced, and Aiba grasped his arm as her face fell.

“Hey, don’t let it get to you. I remember you saying something about healing civilians during your interview with Taneo? If you feel guilty about this, then isn’t this the perfect way to fix it? It’ll certainly get the attention Morgana needs!”

“That’s not a bad plan!” Morgana tilted his head. “Do you think we can pull it off? That’s a lot of people to heal, not to mention the heroes are on the lookout for us. It’ll be dangerous.”

 _“If I may, Trickster.”_ Titania fluttered into his mind. _“I believe this feat is possible if we use Concentrate, and then the Magician and I should cast Mediarahan together. It could expand our range and potency exponentially.”_

 _“But Grandpa is the only one who can use that!”_ Alice said. _“And he’s been so sleepy!”_

 _“I know, my dear Alice. But the Trickster has a nice stockpile of Skill Cards, yes?”_ She chuckled. The sound was like birdsong. _“I’ve been meaning to ask for new skills. I feel like we are overbalanced in ice, with Black Frost and Byakko in the stock. I’ll gladly trade my ice skill for Concentrate, and one of my nuclear skills for a more powerful version.”_

 _“Of course.”_ Ishtar sneered. _“You’re trying to one up me, aren’t you? You won’t be able to heal any illness with a simple Mediarahan, so you’re exchanging quality with quantity.”_

Akira tuned them out as they fell into another argument with Arsene face palming in the background, but she had a point. He blinked when he saw that everyone was staring at him.

“What?”

“You were staring off into space again.” Morgana said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m _fine_.” Akira said, not noticing how Aiba and Morgana winced at his tone. “I was talking with Titania. She thinks it’s possible to heal everyone if you two cast Mediarahan together.” 

Kaito’s jaw dropped. Tobita’s eyes brightened as he peered into Akira with interest. 

“You… could you heal the _entire_ hospital?” Aiba asked, wide eyed. “Just like that?”

“It should be possible if we combine our powers!” Morgana bounced on his heels in excitement, “When did you want to try, Akira?”

“The sooner the better.” He looked at the time, half past eleven in the morning.“We… we could try tonight? Enough time for me to rest a bit more.”

“You _can’t_ be serious.” Kaito snapped.

Akira flinched and blinked rapidly at the man. “What?”

“You want to go out and do something dangerously stupid, _again_.” His expression was like steel, and his shoulders were set and his eyes bored into Akira. “But this time half of the city’s police force and heroes are onto you! You were dead on your feet yesterday and you don’t look that much better today! How do you expect to pull this off without getting arrested!?”

Morgana and Aiba gaped.

“H-he does have a point.” Morgana said as the enthusiasm drained out of him. “We shouldn’t rush into this while you’re still not feeling well, Akira.”

“Are you kidding me?” Akira narrowed his eyes at Morgana. “We can’t leave all of those people to suffer! They’re only there because of me! If we can heal them _and_ possibly get some of your powers back in one go, then I think we should do it.”

“Akira, I…” Morgana glanced in between Kaito’s thunderous expression and Akira’s desperation. “I-I think Kaito’s right. I’m touched that you want to go out and help people, and to get my powers back, but its too soon. You’re not ready to go back out yet.”

Hurt flashed across Akira’s face. Morgana felt a sharp pang in his chest when Akira grimaced and glanced at the other end of the room. His hands curled into shaking fists.

“Think of it this way, Akira.” Tobita stepped forward and firmly grasped Akira’s shoulders. “The lead role must be in tip top shape so he can pull off his parts without error! Don’t forget about the support roles either. Once you recover, then I would ask that Aiba and I accompany you. With my quirk we could come and go with ease.”

“Yeah!” Aiba pumped her fist. “We’ll be in and out so fast they won’t know we were there!”

Akira’s lips soured, and he hung his head. Just thinking about all of those people that were injured because of _his power_ made him uneasy. Worse yet, everyone else wanted to sit around and do nothing! It made his skin itch.

“Fine.” Akira shrugged off Tobita’s hands and turned his back to them. “I’ll wait... for now.”

He stepped around them and beelined for the other hallway, but a hand to his shoulder stopped him.

“Akira, wait.” Kaito pulled his hand back with a sigh, then ran a hand through his hair. “We should have a talk once you feel better.” 

“A talk?” Akira faced him fully, grimacing. “A talk about _what_?”

Kaito was silent for a few moments while the others exchanged glances. The man’s eyes turned soft, and the tension drained from his shoulders. He suddenly looked far older than he appeared. 

“I think you already know.”

“ _Oh._ ” Morgana perked up. “That kind of talk.”

“You too, Morgana? Now you’ve officially lost me.”

“It’s just…” Aiba stepped forward and grasped the end of his sleeve, her eyes darted between Akira and the others. “W-well, I don’t really know how to put it in words, but you know that we’re all here for you, right?

“Okay.” Akira blinked and scrunched his brow. “Are you all going to use cryptic wording or can you guys just spit it out?”

“I’ll tell it to you straight then.” Kaito said with a sigh. “I wasn’t entirely sure of this until you wanted to patrol too early. Now you just wanted to run around as Joker while you’re still sick. Look, I recognize when someones tries to run away from their problems—”

“Running away?” Akira stumbled back, and he slipped from Aiba’s grasp.“I’m not _running away_ from anything!”

“Oh?” Kaito straightened and looked Akira dead in the eye. “So you’re not using Joker as a means to avoid facing your fears?”

Akira’s eyes widened and he tried to ignore the cold sweat that broke out on the back of his neck and across his palms. His lungs suddenly didn’t want to take in any air. The personas whispered to him, but he cast their voices aside.

“Kaito!” Aiba said, horrified.

“Akira, I think he’s right.” Morgana shivered and curled his tail around himself, as if these words hurt him, too. “You know you can always talk to us if-”

“I said that I’m not running away from _anything_!”

The whole room went silent. Akira felt his face burn as they looked at him with wide eyes.

Tobita reached into his breast pocket and produced a handkerchief. He offered it to Akira with such a warm expression that it melted the iciness that prickled down his spine.

“I am certainly glad I packed more of these.” Tobita said gently. “Please, take it.”

Akira blinked at the red and black cloth. He took it with a shaky hand and blankly stared at it. A warm teardrop fell from his chin and stained the cloth, and it was then that he suddenly felt the wetness on his cheeks and how his eyes had burned. When did he start crying? 

“I-I’m sorry.” He cleaned up his face, but he couldn’t look any of them. “I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“It’s fine.” Kaito sighed and bowed his head. “I shouldn’t have brought it up so brashly. I apologize.”

“Hey, you’re still exhausted Akira.” Morgana walked over and rubbed against Akira’s ankles. “Why don’t you go and get some rest?”

“Sure.” He muttered. “Are you coming?”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

Akira nodded, and he walked into his cubicle without a sound. Tobita lightly sighed as he gathered the tea cups amidst the awkward silence. Aiba blinked tears from her eyes, hands gripping the hem of her shirt. Tobita gently patted her head as he walked past.

Kaito sulked.

“Everyone.” Morgana drew their eyes as he jumped on the table. “Please don’t be upset with him. He’s been through a lot.”

“I know Akira’s sadness.” Tobita shook his head as he set the cups in the sink. “It is the sort of grief that one experiences when they lose everything. I have also felt such grief, thus I could recognize it.”

“Gentle…” Aiba said as she sniffled.

“Th-that’s… your observations are correct.” Morgana’s eyes flicked to the hallway. “There were originally nine of us, you know. One passed away before…. well, _before_. Then the accident happened and now there are only two of us. We don’t know what happened to everyone else or where they are.”

Morgana curled into himself and clenched his eyes shut. He wouldn’t cry. He _refused_ to cry!

“O-or even if they’re still alive.”

“I see.” Tobita said softly. “To suffer that sort of fate at such a young age, it hurts one’s heart.” 

“So that’s why he’s in such pain.” Aiba said, mournful eyes falling to the ground in shame.

Kaito frowned as he clutched his chin. “An accident?”

“There’s more to it than that. Joker was our leader. He feels responsible for everything that’s happened and blames himself for not being able to protect the others.” Morgana hopped down from the table. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t say anything else unless he feels comfortable sharing. I should go check on him.”

Morgana left them with more questions than answers as he scratched at the door. Akira opened it a moment later. The computer was on, the screen was filled with articles about the USJ. Skill Cards were splayed out on the desk. Morgana’s heart hurt as he recognized Yusuke’s familiar brush strokes. He shook his head and stared at Akira.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be resting.”

Akira huffed as he plopped down on the cushion, and Morgana settled on his lap.

“Just doing research and getting the Skill Cards ready for Titania.” Akira scrolled through the article, eyes scarily blank. “We’re… we’re no closer to getting out of this mess, are we? I’m wondering if we’ll ever get to go home.”

“I…” Morgana’s eyes were drawn to something on the desk.

It was Akira’s phone. Not the new one that Aiba set up for him, or one of the burners. _His_ phone from their world. The one that had been hidden within a fake compartment in this cubicle for the last few weeks. He recognized that black and red chat room.

“Akira,” Morgana swallowed and stared wide eyed at Akira. “What’s that?”

Akira grimaced, but he reached for his phone and finally showed Morgana the Phantom Thief chat room.

****[Joker]** **

_Update: Mona and I are about to go on our first patrol. Wish us luck! ;)_

_Loading…._

****[ERROR! SERVER NOT FOUND!]** **

****[Joker]** **

_We were nearly captured, but we only escaped because of Kohryu and now he’s hurt too. A lot of people are hurt and it’s all my fault._

_Loading…._

****[ERROR! SERVER NOT FOUND!]** **

****[Joker]** **

_I’ve already screwed up once, and now this…_

_Loading…._

****[ERROR! SERVER NOT FOUND!]** **

****[Joker]** **

_Please, someone answer_

_Just let me know that you’re all okay_

_Loading…._

****[ERROR! SERVER NOT FOUND!]** **

****

****

****[Joker]** **

_I can’t do this alone_

_Loading…._

****[ERROR! SERVER NOT FOUND!]** **

“Oh, Ren.”

Hearing his real name froze him to his core, and he looked down into Morgana’s saddened eyes.

“I miss them, too. So much so that it feels like there’s an aching hole in my chest.” Morgana’s ears flattened and he huddled against Akira, who began to pet him. “But you’re right. We _can’t_ do this alone. We would never be able to infiltrate Palaces or Mementos without our teammates, and remember there were countless people supporting us outside the Metaverse too.” He glanced at the door. “We can trust those people out there, Ren. We should tell them.”

Akira stilled, eyes wide. “Tell them what?”

“The truth.”

The words hung heavy in the air for a few moments.

“Kaito, Aiba, Tobita, and maybe Hitoshi, too. We shouldn’t lead them on like this.” Morgana sat up straight and looked Akira in the eye. “They should know ahead of time in case we ever find a way home. And… please don’t be afraid to reach out when you need help. We all need to be in top form if we want to conquer this!”

 _“He’s right.”_ Arsene said. _“Remember that Joker always comes second to Amamiya Ren. You need to take care of yourself, so that we can conquer the obstacles ahead!”_

 _“Agreed.”_ The Caped Warrior nodded solemnly. _“A general must ensure his own health, so that he can lead his comrades to victory.”_

 _“Plus, the more the merrier.”_ Titania said. _“A queen needs reliable advisers.”_

_“More big brothers and sisters to play with!”_

“I know. I just…” Akira couldn’t look his partner in the eye. “I need time to think.”

“I understand, take all of the time you need.” Morgana head bumped Akira’s chin. “But for now you should get some rest. We have a busy schedule ahead of us!”

Akira snorted as he took off his glasses and put them on the desk, and then shut off the screen and lay back. His heartbeat counted the seconds as they ticked by in silence. Akira shuffled and stared at his partner.

“Morgana?”

His blue eyes glimmered in the darkness. “Yeah?”

“You’ll still be here when I wake up, right?”

“Pfft, what kind of question is that?” Morgana splayed out across Akira’s chest. “I’m not going to leave your side after everything that’s happened. I promise.”

Akira nodded as he closed his eyes. He fell into a dreamless sleep wrapped in the warmth of Arsene’s presence and Morgana’s familiar weight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;))


	36. Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Maniacally laughs with Nezu*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays everyone <3 :3

“So!” Ashido clapped her hands together and looked around the classroom. “What did everyone do with their week off!?”

“I slept in.” Sero covered his yawn and blinked the tears from his eyes. “I almost missed my alarm this morning!”

“That storm scared my little brother and sister, kero.” Tsuyu poked her cheek. “So we stayed in and played games with them. Baked some treats to make them happy. Oh, thank you for the baking tips, Sato-kun. The cupcakes were delicious.”

Sato beamed and gave her a thumbs up. “No problem!”

“Aww, that’s adorable Tsu!” Ashido waggled her fingers at Tsuyu.

“I’ve been trying to look up any news on Joker!” Kaminari called as he scrolled through his phone. “But nobody knows where he went! It’s like he just disappeared off the face of the earth!”

“Of fricken course you are.” Bakugo sneered at Kaminari. “I hope that loser is basking in all of this attention! Like he doesn’t have enough of it already!”

“Bakugo!” Ashido gaped on him. “Stop being jealous about how cool Joker is!”

“I’M NOT JEALOUS!”

“K-kachaan, please calm down!”

“CAN IT, DEKU!” A vein popped in Bakugo’s forehead. “I CAN SAY WHAT I WANT!!”

Ashido ignored them as she turned towards Todoroki, who stared down at his clenched hands.

“Yo, Todoroki! Endeavor was in on the raid, right?”

Todoroki’s expression didn’t change, but a harshness came into his eyes like the bite of winter wind.

“Yes. What of it?”

“W-well…” Ashido poked her fingers together. “I figured you’d have connections? Does anybody have news about Joker?”

“No.”

“I hope he’s okay.” Jiro said as she peeked over Kaminari’s shoulder. “Joker seems like a really cool guy.”

“Right!?” Kaminari sighed and put down his phone. “There’s no news! Nothing! You’d think there would be _something_ by now!”

“It is a troubling time.” Iida interrupted as he adjusted his glasses. “My brother has been keeping an eye out as well, but there have been no sightings or reports about him. His silence is concerning me, too.”

“Dude.” Kaminari’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t think you would be a Joker fan, with him being a vigilante and all.”

All eyes turned to Iida as he stiffened.

“Th-that’s…” Iida deflated with a sigh, the hair covering his eyes. “It’s complicated. I have high respect for Joker because he healed my brother alongside Stain’s other victims. I don’t exactly _agree_ with his methods, but he does help people.”

“Hmm, that is true. He has gained much favor for such feats.” Tokoyami steepled his fingers together and bowed his head. “But Joker walks a delicate line between the light and darkness, so you must remember that he cannot be fully trusted. I hope that he will make an appearance soon, if not to soothe the rampant discord that has broken out across Japan.”

“Oui!” Aoyama shouted with a sparkly wink. “Joker is _fantastique, non_? A man born for the spotlight! I eagerly await his encore!”

“I still think he’s pretty manly, too! I thought he was _amazing_ when we were at the USJ!” Kirishima’s grin slowly fell. “I’m really worried about him though. That bounty totally isn’t fair!”

Yaoyorozu flinched, and it caught the eye of Uraraka beside her.

“Momo?” Uraraka grasped her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“A-ah, yes.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I am perfectly fine.”

At that moment the door slid open. Their chatter died as Aizawa trudged to the podium and tossed a stack of papers on it, then he dragged out a long sigh. His eyes scanned the class. Ashido was bouncing in her seat. Todoroki had an especially caustic glare. Iida and Midoriya had their hands folded on their desks, waiting patiently. Others looked to him with eager eyes.

“Welcome back.” Aizawa droned. “I know that recent events have been exhausting, but there is an announcement from Principal Nezu that all classes are receiving. First off, now that we know Joker is based in Musutafu-”

Shocked whispers broke out across the room. Bakugo and Tokoyami sat straight up in their chairs with the former sprouting a frightening grin. Iida, Midoriya, and Todoroki exchanged quick glances.

“HE’S BEEN _HERE_ THE WHOLE TIME!?” Ashido flung her hands in the air. “HEE-”

“ _Ashido.”_ Aizawa snapped as his eyes flared red. “Finish that phrase and you’ll be serving detention again. Understand?”

“Yes sir…” She wilted over her desk like a dying flower.

“As I was saying,” Aizawa continued with a sigh. “It’s important to keep your eyes peeled since Joker is in Musutafu. Now, I don’t want _any_ of you to go around town actively looking for Joker, because doing so would be considered an act of vigilantism and will get you _expelled_ on the spot.”

He let that sink in for a moment. Bakugo sulked against his chair with crossed arms, and his lip curled.

“But if you do come across anything suspicious then immediately notify myself or any other teachers. A hotline will also be posted around the school. Any questions?”

Several hands shot up into the air, and Aizawa sighed. Oh, how he wished for a cup of coffee right about now.

“Midoriya.”

“Are Midnight-sensei and Hound Dog-sensei alright? I-I heard on the news that they were hospitalized.”

“Yes, they are fine.” Aizawa said. “The heroes injured during the raid were already discharged from the hospital and are able to resume work as normal.”

“Sensei!!” Ashido waved her arm wildly. “Is it true that you were there too!? Did you see Joker’s dragon for yourself!?”

Many of his students leaned forward with sparkling eyes.

“Yes.”

“Is it really as big as the videos make it look!?” Ashido beamed, and Aizawa thought he would be blinded by her smile.

Aizawa glared at Kaminari, who snickered. The boy sunk his chair as the room went quiet.

“It was.”

“He has two dragons!” Sero cried. “ _Two_!”

“Right!? The Hosu dragon looks tiny compared to the other one!” Hagakure waved her arms wildly. “That’s so _cool!_ ”

Bakugo scoffed and glared at his desk as if it had personally insulted him.

“I wonder how many creatures he has?” Tsuyu said as she tilted her head. “You would think there would be a limit to his quirk.”

“Th-that depends.” Midoriya gained that familiar spark in his eye. “I think it is limited in some way, because we haven’t seen him summon two or more at once. I-I think he can only summon one at a time? Then there’s the possibility of him holding back, so we don’t really know what his full power is. Is it really possible for him to summon two? Or three at once? How is he connected to his creatures? Maybe there would be too much of a mental strain if he summoned too many, but then again, I think some of them are intelligent enough to—”

“Midoriya,” Kirishima chuckled. “You’re going off on a tangent again.”

“O-oh!” Midoriya rubbed the back of his head as his cheeks turned red. “Sorry!”

“That’s okay, Mido!” Ashido rubbed her hands together. “Wouldn’t it be cooler if he had even _more_ awesome creatures though!? I can’t wait to see them!”

Aizawa’s eyes flashed red and silenced the room.

“Let me get one thing straight. I know some of you admire him, but Joker is still a _vigilante_.” Aizawa glanced at every one of his students. “Joker’s creatures are on an entirely different level of power than anything we’ve experienced so far, that dragon made the USJ Nomu look like an ant — That’s why it’s far too dangerous for any student to try and go after him. For the sake of your own safety, leave Joker to us professionals.”

Several students gaped at him. Some of them, like Iida and Midoriya, couldn’t look him in the eye as they were lost in thought. Slowly, Todoroki raised his hand, and Aizawa nodded at him.

“I heard the dragon’s final roar for myself. It sounded like it was in a lot of pain.” He said with a dead set glare. “It’s too coincidental that the possibility of the dragon being injured is linked to Joker’s disappearance, but the only thing that could cause that would be you, Sensei. Did you use your quirk to erase it?”

The air in the room changed. A mix of discomfort and unease permeated the atmosphere, and it was so palpable that it buzzed across everyone’s skin. Iida’s expression was unreadable as he lowered his head. Ashido’s brow was pinched, and her golden eyes held fear. Others openly gaped at him, and that didn’t help the curl of dread Aizawa’s harbored since the raid.

“My quirk might have reacted badly to Joker’s dragon, so there’s always that possibility that something went wrong.” Aizawa’s eyes hardened as Todoroki narrowed his. “But I made a choice. It was between us heroes and all of the citizens in Musutafu, or risk letting the dragon’s rampage get out of control and end up killing hundreds of innocent people. As heroes, you will all have to make hard choices in the future.”

Uncertainty trickled into their expressions. Uraraka’s hand slowly raised amidst the tense silence. Aizawa nodded at her.

“Um…” She furrowed her brow as she placed a hand over her heart. “Do you think Joker’s okay?”

“I hope so.” Aizawa’s eyes softened. “Despite what happened, Nezu, Detective Tsukauchi, Midnight, and myself want to _help_ him. You can rest assured that we didn’t intentionally want to hurt Joker. The decision for the raid was out of our hands.”

It was at that moment that the bell rang, and saved Aizawa from answering any more questions.

“Now, scram.” Aizawa waved his hand and trudged over to his desk. “I don’t want to hear about anybody being late for English. Present Mic is loud enough.”

Chairs scraped across the linoleum and the students gathered their things. They left one by one, with each of them harboring different emotions or whispering among each other. Aizawa sighed when he was left in peace, or so he thought. A shadow hovered over his desk and he looked up to Yaoyorozu.

“E-excuse me, Aizawa-sensei?”

She was hunched over, eyes downcast, and she was hugging herself tightly.

“What is it?”

“I…” Her eyes flicked between he and the floor.

In truth, everything was _her_ fault. The whole raid. The hurricane. Joker’s disappearance. The following protests and the petition. It was her father that put up the money for that bounty in exchange for future favors with the Hero Commission. What did that mean? Did her parents not have any confidence in her abilities, so much so that they tried to _pay off_ the commission? Not that she didn’t deserve it. Her performance during the Sports Festival was shameful for her family—

“Yaoyorozu?”

She jumped and stared wide eyed at Aizawa.

“A-ah, I-its nothing!” She bowed to him. “Nevermind, Sensei. I apologize for wasting your time.”

She walked out with Aizawa staring at her back.

~*~*~*~

Midoriya clutched a familiar bento to his chest.

He stared at the door and bit his lip. He raised his knuckles to knock, but he just couldn’t do it, and his hand fell limply at his side. With a sigh, he got out his phone and scrolled through it. Kurusu’s number was at the top of his contact list. He bit the inside of his cheek as he opened the chat room full of cat gifs. The last message was a few days old… which was odd. Kurusu usually sent at least one or two every day! 

Kurusu really didn’t talk all that much over text, but what he said at the beach had stuck with him. The other boy actually cared enough to give him advice! But now, standing right outside All Might’s office, he was frozen. His finger shakily hovered over the keyboard. How could he ask Kurusu for even _more_ advice? 

He frantically shook his head and was about to shove it in his pocket, when it chimed. Midoriya blinked slowly. It was a text from Kurusu!

****[Kurusu]** **

_Sorry about not sending anything the last few days._

_Came down with the flu ;)_

Midoriya breathed a sigh of relief. In truth, he had been worried ever since they accidentally met at the beach, with Kurusu covered head to toe in sand, and with obvious signs of a struggle all around him. Kurusu was quirkless. Quirkless and probably riddled with more bullies than he could ever count.

****[Mido]** **

_Oh no! Are you any better?_

****[Kurusu]** **

_It was bad for a few days, but I’ll be better soon enough._

_How have you been, with the storm and everything?_

_It got pretty crazy._

****[Mido]** **

_Good! My mom and I made it through okay._

_School has started back up again._

_Could I…_

****[Kurusu]** **

_What is it?_

****[Mido]** **

_Do you remember what we talked about at the beach?_

_Well, I really want to talk to that person but…_

_I’m standing right outside their door_

_And I just…_

_I don’t know if I can do it??_

_Part of me wants to do it but a bigger part just wants to turn away and pretend it never happened_

Kurusu didn’t answer right away, and at first he thought he wouldn’t get a reply at all.

****[Kurusu]** **

_Take a breath._

_You’re over thinking it._

_Putting it off now will just make it harder to do in the future. Sometimes its best to dive in head first and get it over with._

_You’ll feel a lot better after, trust me._

_Chin up, Midoriya. You can do this! ;)_

His eyes watered as an equally shaky grin spread on his lips. His whole chest flooded with warmth when he read ‘You can do this!’ several times over. Midoriya sniffled and typed back.

****[Mido]** **

_Thanks!_

_You’re right! I’ll do my best!_

_Oh, I still have your bento too!_

_I was also wondering if you’d want to come over to my house for dinner sometime, so that I could return it? I’m having a few friends in class over too! You already know most of them from the cafe._

_If you want to of course!_

_And after you’re feeling better!!_

Midoriya shoved his phone into his pocket and wiped his face with his sleeve. He took a deep breath and held his head high.

Then, he finally knocked.

~*~*~*~

“You don’t understand, Gran.” Toshinori paced back and forth, hobbling through the stabbing pain in his side. “Joker was… he was _scared_.”

_“Of course the brat was scared! He finally got cornered.”_

“That’s not what I _mean_!” Toshinori sighed and ran a hand down his face. “I’ve seen countless villains become afraid when I appear on scene, but Joker wasn’t like any of them. I looked straight into the face of a boy that was desperate and fighting for his very life. I’ve been around long enough to recognize the difference.”

 _“So, you felt pity for a criminal and it bit you in the ass.”_ Toshinori winced. _“And now your time is reduced even more. How long can you hold your transformation now?”_

Toshinori wandered over to one of the couches and sank into it. He leaned over and placed his head into his hand.

“I can barely hold on for 25 minutes. I’ve had to cut down on classes or get other teachers to fill in altogether.”

Gran swore under his breath. _“All of this bullshit for a criminal brat. Remind me why you, Nezu, and Tsukauchi are all hung up on this kid?”_

Oh. He’s never told Gran Torino about Joker’s possible connection to _him_. A spike of pain shot through Toshinori, and he swiped up a wad of tissues to hide his crackling cough, but it didn’t fool Gran. The older man waited patiently for Toshinori to calm down. Toshinori groaned and tossed the crimson tissues in the trash. He cleared his throat, but his voice remained scratchy.

“Joker has too many quirks for it to be natural, and the beasts he controls are too powerful for _one_ quirk to be able to handle. We think Joker is one of All For One’s experiments.” A grave silence overtook the line. “Like… like the Nomu. That’s why we _need_ to find the boy, before All For One can recapture him and do who knows what.”

_“Shit.”_

Toshinori chuckled drily. “Yeah. Shit.”

 _“So that ancient bastard is still alive after all.”_ Gran grumbled. _“Toshinori, I think you should make a call to Nighteye.”_

“What?” Toshinori jolted. “Why him?”

_“Something about this whole situation with Joker just seems… off. It’s like we’re missing a big piece of the puzzle and we don’t even know it yet. Don’t you think that Nighteye would’ve been able to see something as big as Joker’s appearance or how the kid could heal_ _ impossible _ _injuries? I find it odd that he never said anything, or warned anyone about such an overpowered brat.”_

“I don’t know, Gran. We haven’t talked in _years_ and we didn’t exactly part on the best of terms…”

_“Just a suggestion, Toshinori. I know how it all went down, but it might be worth it.”_

“I… I’ll give it some thought.” Toshinori jumped when there was a sudden knock on the door. “I have to go.”

_“Don’t you dare hang up on—”_

Toshinori hung up.

He hastily threw some more tissues in the trash to cover up the blood stained ones and went to the door. Toshinori grabbed the doorknob and readied himself. His transformation exploded with white hot pain, and he doubled over to put a hand on the wall, his body shuddering. He wiped the blood from his chin, before collecting himself and throwing the door open.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to-”

He looked down to see Midoriya, with one arm cradling a bento and the other raised to knock again. The boy blinked at him.

“Oh! Come in, Young Midoriya!”

“Y-Yes!”

He whisked Midoriya inside and shut the door. The lock clickedin place and Toshinori let go of his quirk.

“A-All Might!?” Midoriya rushed to his side as he bent over, coughing gobs of red into his palm. “A-are you alright!? Should I go get Recovery Girl!?”

“I’ll be fine, my boy!” Toshinori attempted to smile, but Midoriya only paled. “Just… could you help me to the couch?”

Midoriya nodded and took Toshinori’s arm. They hobbled to the couch and his successor set him down as gently as a feather.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. There’s tea brewing if you wanted any.”

Midoriya, still ashen, nodded. The aroma of fresh green tea wafted through the room, and Toshinori used the distraction to clean himself up. They sat amidst tense silence once the tea was poured and Midoriya sat across from him, the bento sat untouched on the table.

“I-If this is a bad time,” Midoriya grasped his teacup with white knuckles. “Then I could come back later!”

“Don’t be silly, Young Midoriya! I am still recovering from the injuries I sustained during the raid.” Toshinori held a hand up when Midoriya winced. “Please don’t worry about me. I am fine. So, did you need to speak to me about something?”

“W-well,” Midoriya glanced at bento. “Todoroki and Iida wanted to eat their lunches alone, a-and I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a long time. So… here I am?”

“I see. You can ask me anything.”

Midoriya bit his lip. His thumb idly traced over the phone in his pocket. Toshinori waited patiently, and after a few moments Midoriya sat up straight and looked him in the eye.

“Something’s been bothering me ever since Joker’s interview. S-so I have to ask.” His eyes softened and he leaned forward. “All Might, you’re going to stay around and help me be a hero, right? You’re not going to…”

Midoriya swallowed thickly as ice poured through Toshinori’s body.

“You’re not just going to collapse one day, right?” The trademark Midoriya tears flooded the boy’s eyes. “Y-you’re going to stay with me no matter what?”

Toshinori lowered his head to avoid his successor’s eyes. His whole body sulked with the weight of his answer. Usually, he would assure the boy that he would be fine, and that he would stay by his side no matter what, but now…

Midoriya flinched at All Might’s silence.

“Let me share something with you.” Toshinori looked up to see fat tears fall down Midoriya’s cheeks, and it made his nonexistent stomach clench. “Are you familiar with my former sidekick, Nighteye?”

Midoriya’s lip wobbled as he wiped at his eyes, but he nodded.

Toshinori heaved a sigh as he looked down at his fists. “He predicted that I would die a pathetic death.”

“Wh-what!? Wh-when…?”

“Next spring.”

“You… you’re going to die...?” Midoriya hung his head as his hand tightly grasped his chest. “I’m going to be all alone?”

Toshinori pushed back the stabbing pain as he forced himself to his feet and rounded the table, kneeling in front of his successor. He put a hand to the boy’s shoulders as droplets poured down onto the carpet.

“My boy…” Toshinori tightened his grip when Midoriya’s shoulders began to tremble. “ _Izuku_ , please look at me.”

Izuku froze, and slowly raised his head. Toshinori gently took the teacup from his hands and set it on the table, and then placed both hands on Izuku’s shoulders.

“When Nighteye told me about his prediction, I just… I just accepted it. I decided to keep being the Symbol Of Peace until my inevitable death. Nighteye couldn’t accept my decision, so that’s why we parted ways. However, recent events made me think things over.” His cerulean eyes blazed as a smile overtook his gaunt face. “And all it took were the actions of a young vigilante to spark hope in my heart.”

Izuku’s eyes widened. “Joker did?”

“That’s right, my boy!” Toshinori’s smile widened. “Joker has accomplished many great feats that were thought to be impossible. He beat the odds and did it all with a smile! I thought… I thought that if Joker could defy all odds and fight against fate, then why can’t I? After all, the future isn’t set in stone!”

“S-so… you mean…” Light returned to Izuku’s eyes. “You’re not going to die?”

“I can’t promise anything, Izuku. _But_ ,” One of Toshinori’s hands fell from Izuku’s shoulder and he made a fist. “I decide to fight! I’ll put my all into going against what fate has in store for me, so that I can raise you to be the best hero you can be!”

Izuku stifled a sob and lunged forward. Toshinori stiffened as Izuku’s arms wrapped tightly around him, but he relaxed and hugged back. He would deny how hot tears came to his eyes as Toshinori’s chin rested on Izuku’s head, or how his shirt was stained by Izuku’s tears. Neither of them knew how long they stayed like that. Eventually, the bell rang and snapped them out of their own little world.

“S-sorry.” Izuku was the first to let go and he furiously wiped his eyes. “I-I didn’t mean to take up so much time!”

Toshinori threw his head back and laughed. “That’s quite alright, my boy!”

“Thanks…” Izuku said as he gave Toshinori his biggest puppy dog eyes. “Thanks f-for being honest with me. I appreciate it. A-and you don’t have to fight alone! I’ll fight alongside with you, All Might!”

“I know.” Toshinori ruffled Izuku’s hair. “You’re my successor. There shouldn’t be any secrets between us! Right?”

“R-right!” Izuku wiped away the last of the tears. “I should get going before I’m late for class!”

“But… you didn’t eat. What’s your next class?”

“Math with Ectoplasm-sensei.”

“Now, hold on!” Toshinori held his hands up when Izuku shifted. “A young man like yourself shouldn’t skip out on meals! Stay and eat. I can write a note to Ectoplasm after you’re done. I’m sure he’ll understand.”

The thought rolled around in Izuku’s mind, but the loud gurgle of his stomach made the choice for him. Izuku turned beat red as Toshinori grinned.

“See?”

“O-Okay, if you’re sure!”

Toshinori beamed as he sat at his successor’s side. Izuku unwrapped his lunch and then clapped his hands together, saying his thanks for the meal. Toshinori tilted his head to study the bento. It was made with lacquered wood, and the lid was decorated with intricate cherry blossoms.

“Where did you get such a nice bento, my boy?”

“It’s not mine.” Izuku poked at an omelet with his chopsticks. “Somebody else let me borrow it for a while! I’m going to return it to him soon, though!”

“Oh? Did you get it from someone in your class?”

“No, I actually met him outside of school!” Izuku smiled, but it slowly fell.

Toshinori furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong?”

“Can I…” Izuku sighed as he scratched the back of his head. “Can I tell you something, All Might?”

He nodded. “Always.”

“I…” Izuku frowned at the bento. “He’s about a year or two older than me and… and he’s quirkless.”

Toshinori sucked in a breath as Izuku continued.

“B-But he’s a lot stronger than I was before I got One For All! He’s kind and caring, and gives great advice. He helped me out when he didn’t have to.” Izuku rubbed the bento with his thumb. “I haven’t known him all that long, but I have this connection with him that I can’t explain. L-like he honestly feels like a big brother to me? Is that weird?”

“Of course not! He must be somebody special.”

“He is!” Izuku beamed with stars in his eyes, and Toshinori’s face fell when they faded just as fast. “B-but I know that he’s been hurting. He smiles, but I can tell when they aren’t happy, o-or if he forces them so nobody else notices how sad he is. We accidentally ran into each other at Dagobah once and, well, you should have seen it. All of the sand was messed up and he was covered in it too. H-he said that nothing happened but I can’t stop thinking about how somebody might have hurt him.”

“I… I see.” Toshinori clasped his hands together and looked at the floor.

Izuku blinked up at him. “Do you think I could help him like he’s helped me?”

Toshinori chuckled and ruffled Izuku’s hair. “I have no doubts that you can pull it off! The mark of a true hero is meddling even when it might not be wanted. Keep letting him know that you’ll be there for him, and I’m sure you’ll get him to open up eventually!”

“Thanks, All Might! I’ll try my best!” Izuku’s eyes drifted to the clock, and he jolted. “Oh no! Math class is almost half over!!”

Toshinori waved his hands frantically as Izuku began to shove food in his face.

“S-slow down, my boy! You’re going to—”

As if it was on cue, Izuku choked. Toshinori forced the cup of tea into the boy’s hands and he gulped down in one go. Izuku turned beet red and he finished his lunch with smaller bites. Toshinori wrote his note and sent the boy on his way.

Their hearts were lighter than they had ever been.

~*~*~*~

“Why, for the love of all that is holy, did you invite them _here_?” Aizawa droned to the grinning rat on his shoulder. “And at the end of the school day no less. We could’ve done this at a police station.”

“You should know as well as I do, Aizawa!” Nezu chirped. “We have the advantage of being on home territory. They know this and yet he accepted. He thinks he can challenge my authority. If he manages to beat me here at U.A., then nothing will stop him. I won’t allow that to happen.”

“Okay.” Aizawa slowly blinked. “I’m going to pretend that I have any idea what you’re talking about. You have some sort of crazy plan, don’t you?”

Nezu grinned from ear to ear.

Welp, Aizawa wanted at least one more cup of coffee before all hell broke loose, but the gods were not merciful today. The only blessing was Nezu leaving that damn stuffed fish in his office.

The final bell had rung and students were milling about, though they parted like the red sea as he made his way to one of the conference rooms. Countless eyes were on him. He didn’t know if it was because the principal was using him as a personal taxi or if word had gotten around about his role in the raid. He looked over his shoulder when he felt a sudden prickle on his scalp.

Shinsou Hitoshi was giving him a dead eyed stare. Aizawa meant to talk to the boy sooner, but they haven’t had a chance to yet. He raised a brow at Shinsou, and he turned away to blend in with the crowd.

“What’s wrong?” Nezu asked.

“Nothing.”

They reached the conference room door and Aizawa opened it. The room fell silent, with only the creak of chairs to disturb the unsettling atmosphere. All of the U.A. staff was present. Tsukauchi and the Chief Of Police sat across from…

Aizawa narrowed his eyes at the President of the Hero Commission.

Kunikazu Hiroto was a decently built man, with a strong jaw and a nose like an eagle’s beak, and his sharp citrine eyes glowed like harvest moons. His ebony black hair was slicked back, and Aizawa wondered how much hair gel he used on a daily basis. A much smaller man wearing the same suit, with a messy head of crimson hair and thin glasses, sat beside him. His eyes were icy blue and angled like a cat.

Nezu tapped Aizawa’s back with his tail and he realized how long he’d been standing there, staring. Kunikazu drummed his fingers on the table as Aizawa walked past. Finally, everyone was seated, with Nezu at the head of the table and Aizawa taking the left handed seat. All Might, or rather Toshinori in his smaller form, sat to the right.

“Apologies for being late!” Nezu trilled. “Now I would like to thank everyone for coming to this meeting—”

“Let’s just get to the chase, Nezu.” Kunikazu’s deep baritone voice cut through the air. “As some of us actually have a busy schedule to keep.”

“Impatient much?” Snipe muttered under his breath.

Kunikazu glared at Snipe.

Chief Tsuragamae cleared his throat. “It’s not everyday that the President of the Hero Commission, the Principal of U.A., and the Chief Of Police all get together under one roof. Shall we get to the meat of this meeting?”

“Very well!” Nezu’s smile never wavered. “We are here to discuss the raid and possible steps we must take to safely take Joker into custody.”

“We would have had him if _some people_ stuck to the plan.” Kunikazu’s eyes landed on Eraserhead, who glared right back.

“You’re not pinning this on me.” He growled. “That plan of yours was flawed. If you had _listened_ to Nezu and Tsukauchi, none of this would’ve happened in the first place!”

“Aizawa.” Tsukauchi shook his head. “We know it’s not your fault—”

“And how is it not?” Kunikazu leaned forward and folded his hands together. “If Eraserhead was with Midnight and Hound Dog, then the vigilante couldn’t have used his quirk to escape. There could have been _no_ casualties, whether among the attack force or within the city. Remind me why you wandered off at such a crucial time, Eraserhead?”

Aizawa sighed. “Because I located Joker’s cat—”

“The cat. Right.” Kunikazu shook his head. “You were all outsmarted by a _cat_ twice now. I find it hard to put faith in any of you because of it.”

“Do not be so quick to discount us.” Chief Tsuragamae growled. “Joker and his feline companion are more clever than we give them credit for. You have seen the footage from the police station and read Eraserhead’s report on the feline’s ability to speak. There is more to that cat than we currently know.”

“And besides,” Nezu swiveled his chair to stare at Kunikazu with beady eyes. “Even _if_ Eraserhead was in the warehouse with Midnight and Hound Dog, there’s no guarantee that it would have went any different. It’s highly possible that the cat has some healing abilities, based on the interrogation room footage. Joker’s shoulder could not have been healed otherwise.”

“I agree.” Midnight said, calling their attention on her. “I believe, that like Joker, we don’t know the full extent of the cat’s powers. It would have gone to the warehouse to rescue his companion.”

“That’s where it was headed before I encountered it.” Aizawa said as he buried his face in his scarves. “And the things it said still bother me.”

Midnight and Hound Dog nodded in unison. Tsukauchi grimaced as he tightened his fists on his lap. The others exchanged glances. They had all read Eraserhead’s report on what the feline had… _implied_ about Joker’s past. It sent shivers down their spines.

“The criminal’s past doesn’t matter.” Kunikazu sighed and drummed his fingers louder. “We expected to have Joker in custody by now.”

“I have a question for you, President Kunikazu.” Nezu said as he folded his paws together.

The man narrowed his eyes. “Then ask.”

“Very well!” Nezu’s smile turned sharp. “You seem particularly upset that he got away, more than I would have guessed if I’m being honest! Tell me, what were your plans for Joker, if he had been successfully captured at that warehouse?” 

Kunikazu narrowed his eyes as all others in the room stiffened. His staff ogled at Nezu, some openly gaping at Kunikazu, others flinched back in their chairs.

“What else? He will be shipped straight to Tartarus after he is convicted of his long list of criminal charges.” Kunikazu said. “The plans for building a new cell are already in motion. The criminal will be kept deep underground in a specialized Maiden, and drip fed a steady supply of quirk suppressants and other medications to keep him docile.”

Tsukauchi paled. Chief Tsuragamae crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair, his eyes sparkled with an unknowable emotion. Nezu wasn’t the only one who gained a frigid look in his eyes.

“You’re not serious.” Hound Dog bore his teeth as his fur bristled. “You’re talking about locking a _child_ into an underground pit, throwing away the key, and then putting him in a medically induced _coma_?”

Kunikazu almost looked bored as he stared back at Hound Dog.

“A child?” He scoffed. “In what way is this criminal a child? We have no way of knowing his true age. For all you know he could easily be over eighteen. Our best projection is that he is in his early twenties.”

“I disagree.” Aizawa shook his head. “He can’t be any older than seventeen.”

“And you know this how?”

“I’m a teacher. That’s what my gut instinct told me when the kid appeared.” Aizawa’s eyes bored into Kunikazu’s. “That, and his mannerisms. The way he speaks, acts, and the confidence he’s shown reminds me of my own students. The similarities are too coincidental for Joker to be a legal adult.”

Kunikazu laughed and pounded the table with his fist. “Good luck convincing a judge with a hunch! Unless you get hard proof of his age, then I doubt your little gut feeling will be admissible evidence.”

“I believe in my staff’s abilities to deduce such things.” Nezu was still smiling, but most of the teachers inched away from how cold it turned. “Besides, I shall not allow you to lay a hand on Joker once he is taken into custody.”

The man beside Kunikazu stiffened.

“And why is that? You’d have no say in where the criminal goes after he gets arrested.”

“Oh, but I will. I fully intend to take him under my direct care.” Nezu leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “For you see, I have decided to start my own Vigilante Reform Program!”

Nezu’s grin was like a cheshire cat’s as everyone’s jaws hit the floor.

“WHAAT!?” Present Mic screamed.

“He can just do that…?” Ectoplasm stage whispered to Cementoss, who shrugged.

Toshinori covered his cough with a handkerchief. Tsukauchi and Tsuragamae exchanged glances before their eyes flicked in between Nezu and Kunikazu. Midnight sat up straight with a stern expression, and Hound Dog mirrored her in support of Nezu.

Aizawa’s arms broke out in goosebumps as the President and Principal were locked in an intense staring contest, and one was likely to get struck by the lightning generated in between them.

“You’ve seen that criminal’s power for yourself!” Kunikazu’s fist pounded on the table. “A power like that could change Japan— no, the _entire_ world! It’s far too dangerous to allow him into society! He needs to be contained!”

“I disagree.” Nezu’s grin turned feral. “Joker’s powers should be nurtured to make the world a better place. The boy has the skills and charisma to be a fantastic hero, and the power to back that up. We have all the resources we need at U.A. to support my program. He’ll be under strict watch and be required to wear quirk suppressants at all times. Besides, President Kunikazu, how would you cope with the ramifications of putting Joker in Tartarus? You’re barely holding together at the backlash from the raid.”

“Please.” Kunikazu scoffed. “The vigilante is merely a fad. They’ll grow bored of him and move onto the next new topic to hit the news. He’ll be forgotten once he’s shut away for good.”

“I do not think so! Especially when they learn of your _true_ intentions for Joker.”

Kunikazu sat up straight, and his face scrunched into a thunderous expression. His glowing eyes suddenly burned with the intensity of the summer sun. 

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing much.” Nezu chirped with sickly sweet venom. “Just that the skeletons in your closet aren’t as hidden as you think they are. You should be more careful. I wonder what would happen if some of those skeletons were dragged into the light?”

Kunikazu shot up. “Is that a _threat_ , Principal Nezu?”

“Enough!” Chief Tsuragamae shouted. “Both of you. We are professionals, and while the situation has been stressful for everyone involved, I expect us to stay as such.”

Nezu looked out across the table. His staff stared at him with wide eyes, and a few of them had pushed away from the table.

“Ah, I suppose you are correct.” Nezu said as his grin fell. “You have my deepest apologies.”

“And I apologize for almost losing my head.” Kunikazu grabbed his chair and sat down, and his eyes dulled down to a simmer.

Kunikazu’s subordinate stared at him with wide eyes and pursed lips.

“Nezu.” Tsuragamae leaned forward to look him in the eye. “May I ask why you decided to invite me here? I do not know my role in this meeting, aside from providing additional facts about Joker or the raid. You could have set this meeting up without my help.”

“It’s quite simple!” Nezu said. “In order to finalize a Vigilante Program you need the signatures of a judge and the chief of police. You could compare it to a sort of separation of powers. Otherwise any hero agency could start a Vigilante Program! I would only trust you with it, as your testimonies could help sway the judge to our side. You would also have a hand in overseeing Joker’s progress during his time at U.A.”

“I see.”Tsuragamae sighed and leaned back into his chair. “I understand what you need Nezu, but I shall stay neutral in this.”

Tsukauchi flinched back, eyes wide. “But Chief!”

“I shall remain neutral, _for now_ , because of the state of the public. We would only add to this country’s unease If I took your immediate side, Nezu. However, I will not completely abandon you either. If we can get solid proof that Joker is underage, whether by his own confession or by some other nonnegotiable evidence, then I will lend you my full support.” Tsuragamae held his hand up and stared at Kunikazu. “I personally do not agree with putting anybody in Tartarus like that, regardless of what crimes they have committed or what quirk they have. I hope you understand the need for my neutrality.”

“Of course, Chief Tsuragamae.” Nezu said with a slight frown.

“Are we done, then?” Kunikazu glanced at his watch. “I do have other appointments to keep.”

“Not quite yet!” Nezu said. “We have one more point to cover, and this is quite important.”

Kunikazu huffed. “And what point is that?”

“Joker’s origins.”

“His origins?” Kunikazu refrained from rolling his eyes. “I already stated that his past doesn’t matter.”

“Perhaps not to you.” Nezu said without missing a beat. “But I think it is important enough. We have to know the boy’s current mindset. If we understand him, then it would be easier to take him in.”

Nezu glanced in between Toshinori, Midnight, and Hound Dog. The four of them have discussed this part of the meeting in length, and now was the time to unveil it. Toshinori cleared his throat as he stood up.

“Firstly, some of you are already familiar with my past.” He glanced in between Nezu, Kunikazu, Tsukauchi, Tsuragamae, and now Midnight and Hound Dog. “But for those who don’t, what is said here cannot leave this room, for I am about to share the details of the villain that put me in this state.”

He let that sink in as his fellow teachers looked at him with various expressions of confusion or interest.

“His name is All For One.”

And so, he told them. Not everything, of course. He left out the details of his own quirk and it’s long history against the wretched villain, but he told them about the man’s quirk, how he had ruled the criminal underworld for centuries, and their final brutal battle.

“All Might…” Thirteen raised their hand, and he nodded at them. “Thank you for sharing that tale, I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you. That said, what does all of this have to do with Joker?”

“Yeah!” Mic shouted. “I don’t see how the Listener could be close to such a terrible guy!”

“That’s…” Tsukauchi dug out his notebook and flipped it open. “That’s a little more complicated. All For One can take and give quirks and our running theory is that he created the Nomu, since they used multiple quirks and had the DNA of several different individuals. Joker has also showcased _multiple_ quirks. Not to mention those creatures he controls are incredibly powerful, enough to overpower the Nomu.”

“I see what you’re getting at.” Aizawa stiffened. “The cat implied that Joker was experimented on before. Do you think it lines up with this… All For One?”

Tsukauchi pursed his lips, and nodded. 

“Wait.” Vlad growled. “Are you saying that Joker is one of those Nomu things?”

“Not quite a Nomu, as he is able to act of his own free will.” Tsukauchi said.

“I believe he and the cat were a different experiment altogether.” All eyes fell to Nezu as he lost his smile, and his beady eyes were unreadable. “An animal with a quirk, much like myself, would have an extensive file. Joker is also not in the system, so either the information has been completely erased or his birth was kept secret. He’s shown multiple quirks, inhuman durability, and his mastery with different weapons is superb. All evidence points to Joker being All For One’s experimental subject…. perhaps since birth. ”

“If that’s true, then I feel responsible for him. It took me years to unravel All For One’s immense network, so why did I never discover him? Why is it that I could never save Joker from his tormentor?” Toshinori looked at Kunikazu. “That being said, I do not agree with putting Joker in Tartarus, either. The boy does not deserve such a fate after we heroes failed him so miserably.”

Kunikazu glared at him, but didn’t say anything.

“All Might.” Midnight put a soft hand on his arm. “All For One covered his tracks completely. You couldn’t have known about something like this.”

Toshinori didn’t answer. His hands curled into fists and he ground his teeth together.

“Hound Dog and I talked about it in great detail, too.” Her colleagues gave her their utmost attention as her playful persona melted away with sharp eyes. “And we agree that Joker showed signs of severe PTSD and emotional trauma. We witnessed his panic attack when we met him at the warehouse.”

“Grrr, he was dissociating as well.”

Midnight nodded and clasped her hands together. “If he was an experiment of All For One, then his emotional state would make sense.” 

“Of course he was scared!” Kunikazu said. “He was finally caught red handed.”

Toshinori’s head snapped up as his mentor’s words were spat back at him. Hound Dog slammed his hands on the table and stood up, saliva flung from his muzzle.

“GRAAAH! I KNOW WHAT I SAW!!” Hound Dog’s eyes were alight by rage. “I don’t have a psychology degree for nothing! I know a traumatized child when I see one!!” 

“Kunikazu-san.” Toshinori said as his fists shook. “This wasn’t the simple fear of a common criminal getting caught. This was a young man who was truly afraid for his life.”

“Again,” Kunikazu waved his hand in dismissal. “This is all just conjecture. You have no solid proof of any of this. Even if its true, and that’s a big _if_ , it won’t change his sentencing.”

“It will.” All Might forced himself to stand tall. “I’ll stand by Principal Nezu’s decision to help this boy.”

“Oh? You surprise me, All Might.” Kunikazu’s eyes brightened. “But even you can’t do anything once Joker is put on trial. Even the ‘good word’ from the number one hero would be useless in a court of law.”

Toshinori grimaced.

Nezu opened his mouth, but a trill ringing echoed in the conference room. Kunikazu sighed as he reached into his pocket for his phone and answered it, and it earned him incredulous looks from across the room.

“Kunikazu speaking.”

Nezu swiveled his ears to overhear, but the man took notice and turned away.

“He did _what_? Tell him to wait in my office, I’ll be there soon.” Kunikazu threw his phone into his pocket and stood. “I have an urgent appointment, so I’m done with this pointless meeting. Ryoto, finish up here and report back.”

“Yes sir.” His subordinate muttered.

“W-wait!” Present Mic called. “You can’t just-”

“Let him go, Mic.” Aizawa said as the door closed. “He’s not worth it, his position be damned.”

“Fiiiine.” Present Mic sulked back into his chair. “But he left his buddy here!”

“I apologize for Kunikazu-san’s temperament.” Ryoto slid back in his chair and bowed to them. “He is usually much more level headed than that. I do not envy the stress that comes with his position.”

“Still, why did you accompany him?” Nezu asked. “Kunikazu is a man that likes to do things on his own, and a meeting like this should be no different.”

“Ah, that’s…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I might be young yet, but I am still on the board. The others insisted, as I was one of only three people who had opposed Joker’s bounty. I don’t want Joker to be put in Tartarus, but my word wouldn’t count as much either.”

Oddly, most of the teacher’s relaxed at that.

“So, you were to act as a neutral witness?” Tsuragamae said as he scratched his chin. “Or perhaps a show of goodwill from the commission?”

“The latter.” Ryoto said with a nod. “Despite how Kunikazu-san acts, the entire board knows U.A.’s value and would like to keep a positive relationship with all of you.”

“I see.” Nezu said with a pleasant smile. “Well, I believe that we have covered most of the points set for this meeting. Let us conclude on a lighter note, yes?”

“Very well.” Tsuragamae stood up and bowed. “Thank you for inviting me here Nezu. I truly hope that things turn out in your favor.”

With that, he turned to leave. Tsukauchi was out of his chair next, but he reached over and put a hand on Toshinori’s shoulder. Toshinori nodded, and Tsukauchi left with the chief.

Ryoto reached into his pocket and slipped a business card towards Nezu.

“My card.” Ryoto lips twitched in a half smile. “In case you ever need to contact me.”

“Ah,” Nezu perked up as he studied the card. “I’ll let you have mine as well!”

Ryoto accepted Nezu’s card with both hands. Then, with a respectful bow, he left with most of the teachers staring at his back.

“It’s always nice to gain an unexpected ally.” Nezu chirped as he tucked the card in his vest.

“Uuugh, finally!!” Present Mic fell back in his chair. “I’m glad that’s over! I could barely breathe through that whole meeting!!”

“You’re telling me.” Snipe tipped his hat. “That was a lot of information in such a short time.”

“But it was necessary.” Ectoplasm looked over to Nezu. “Do you really think we can pull this off? This… Vigilante Program?”

“Of course! We’ll find a way to get the Chief’s aid, one way or another.” Nezu looked into each of the teacher’s faces. “But the bigger question is can I count on all of you? You are heroes after all. I doubt you would abandon a traumatized child, even if he’s turned to vigilantism.”

“I see his face every time I close my eyes. I…I refuse to leave him behind.” Midnight said, eyes sharp like the crack of her whip. “You have my full support, Nezu.”

“RAAAUGH, SAME HERE!!” Hound Dog howled.

“I will lend my support as well.” Toshinori stared down at his clenched fists. “I cannot leave the boy to rot in a cell.”

“It’s hard to argue with that.” Thirteen said with a smile in their voice. “The USJ could’ve been so much worse without him. I want to help him, too!”

“...I owe the kid big time for healing me, and for protecting the students on more than one occasion.” Aizawa buried his face in his capture weapon and looked at the corner of the room. “We’ll get him the help he deserves.”

“Indeed.” Cementoss said with a nod.

Present Mic threw his hands in the air. “YEEEAH!”

“Mic.” Aizawa’s eyes flashed red. “You’re being too loud.”

“Sorry!”

“Truly, I am glad to have every one of you at my back. Well, dismissed everyone!” Nezu swiveled his chair around. “It’s been a long day.”

“Sweet! Oh, that reminds me!” Mic slapped Snipe on the arm. “I finally picked up that collectable that I broke! Where do you want to put it!?”

“Just put it on my desk in the lounge.” Snipe muttered as he rubbed his arm.

“Got it!!”

“Oh, and be sure to actually _lock_ the door this time.”

“Uh….” Present Mic furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

Nezu suddenly stiffened and he whirled his chair back around.

“You forgot to lock the door during the Sports Festival.” Snipe said with a sigh. “You know anybody could walk in if we’re not careful!”

“But…” Present Mic shook his head. “I didn’t go near the lounge that day! I was too busy prepping in the first year stadium!”

“Yeah, and I had to be with you the whole time.” Aizawa huffed. “Unfortunately.”

Snipe whirled around to Midnight. “And it wasn’t you?”

“No.” She said. “I also had to prepare for the first years. I wasn’t in the main building all day.”

Snipe looked across the table. “Anybody?”

The room was silent. Then, Nezu sprouted the biggest grin of the day.

“Oh, you mean when Joker broke into the teacher’s lounge during the Sports Festival!”

Snipe snapped his fingers. “Yeah, that—”

There was a moment of dead silence. A pin dropping would sound closer to an atomic bomb exploding, then the inevitable.

“ _WHAAAAT!?_ ” Several voices screeched in unison.

Nezu cackled as chaos descended upon the room.

“And Joker’s cat _knew my name_. That’s not easy information to access.” Aizawa lunged forward, eyes wide at Present Mic. “There was a pop-up on my computer, but I didn’t think much of it because I thought you tried to download something on it again.”

“No!” Present Mic shook his head frantically. “I didn’t touch your computer!!”

“So…” Aizawa deflated and pinched the bridge of his nose. “He probably got information from my laptop. I haven’t heard of anyone selling secret information about us or the school, so he must be keeping it close to his chest.”

“GRAAAAUGH!!” Hound Dog grasped Snipe’s coat and snarled in his face. “I KNEW I SMELLED SOMETHING OFF AND YOU DOUBTED ME!!!”

“S-sorry!” Snipe waved his hands as his voice raised an octave. “I-I didn’t know!!”

“But… but how!?” Midnight was on her feet, gaping at Nezu. “We had airtight security!”

The teacher’s voices died down and they all stared at Nezu, who in turn looked over to Ectoplasm.

“The little girl.”

“The… the little girl?” Ectoplasm jolted in realization. “You mean the one that lost her family?”

“That’s the one! Did she not lead two of your clones away and leave one of the entrances unguarded?”

Ectoplasm ducked his head. “Yeah, when she was looking for her brother.”

“You’re not seriously blaming a little girl?” Aizawa raised a brow at Nezu, but he was on the edge of his seat. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“I’ve seen a scrap of footage of that little girl before the cameras got hacked—”

“The cameras got hacked!?” Power Loader nearly flew from his chair. “When!? How!? I didn’t pick up anything when you told me to run diagnostics!”

Nezu chuckled. “This hacker was an expert in every meaning of the word. It was subtle, and it took me no small amount of digging through our system, but it was the same signal from when Silver Falcon’s video was broadcast across the city.”

Power loader sank back and clutched his head with both hands. “I see….”

“Don’t feel bad.” Midnight said as she hung her head. “That kid is either extremely skilled or he has a powerful ally.”

“Indeed. Now, back to my original point! Did that little girl not remind you of someone? That blonde hair tied in a bow, and that blue dress…?” The mouse almost looked disappointed, and he sighed as he looked at Ectoplasm. “You do remember this girl’s name?”

“Alice.” Ectoplasm said with a shrug. “But I still don’t see your point.”

“Joker controls gods and mythical monsters alike. It is not unlikely that he could pull such beings from fairy tales as well.”

“Alice. Where have I heard—” Toshinori’s jaw dropped. “You’re not talking about _Alice_ _In Wonderland_ , are you!?”

“That’s the one!”

“But… but she’s just a little girl!” Mic blinked. “And I thought that was a happy story? I’m so confused!!”

“Actually.” Cementoss raised a finger. “The original fairy tales are much darker than their more popular counterparts. It’s quite possible that Joker summoned her from the original grim dark story.”

“Well, now that you mention it.” Ectoplasm flexed his hands. “I sensed something _off_ about her. She was far stronger than a girl her age should have been, and my clones felt sick to their stomachs after she appeared. I thought it was her quirk, but now I’m not so certain. Her inhuman strength and strange aura would make sense if she was one of Joker’s creatures.”

“To think,” Cementoss, who was the only calm one in the room, said. “We never thought of the possibility that one of Joker’s summons could appear human. A lost little girl would make anyone drop their guard.”

“We still don’t know the exact number of creatures under his control, either.” Nezu said. “Who knows what else he has in store!”

“Oh joy.” Aizawa droned.

“We were outclassed by a snarky kid.” Vlad face palmed. “I can’t believe it.”

“I TOTALLY CALLED IT!!” Hound Dog snarled. “AND THAT SMELL IN THE WAREHOUSE!! I just _knew_ I smelled it before!! Now I know why!”

“ _And_ how some of the stuff on our desks was moved around? I wouldn’t be surprised if that was caused by Joker’s cat.” Thirteen said. “Otherwise Mic’s entrance wouldn’t have caused such a ruckus.”

Snipe escaped Hound Dog’s grip and collapsed on the table.

“Oh, I see how it is.” He muttered. “My broken collectable was karmic justice for shooting the kid at the USJ.”

“To be fair.” Toshinori said gently. “You only shot him because you thought he was aiming at me, correct?”

“Yeah.” Snipe took off his hat and placed it over his mask in shame. “But now it would make a lot more sense if he was aiming for Shigaraki or Kurogiri. I didn’t know.”

“Now, now.” Midnight patted his back. “You can apologize once we get him here!”

“We’ll have another meeting to discuss further security upgrades.” Nezu chipped in. “Still, I applaud him! It’s not everyday that somebody can actually break into our school and leave without anyone knowing! It took even me a few weeks to put the pieces together.”

“Especially during the _Sports Festival_.” Ectoplasm groaned as he face palmed.

“And… and you want to take the Listener under your wing.” Present Mic swallowed thickly. “I can’t think of anything more terrifying!”

Nezu’s cheshire grin returned in full force and sent a shiver down their backs. He cackled as he hopped down from the chair and skittered from the room before anybody stop him. Nezu reached his office with a smile plastered on his face.

“Why, good afternoon Admiral Feesh!” He greeted the stuffed animal sitting in one of his armchairs. “You missed out on quite a lot of fun! Kunikazu thinks he has the upper hand, but he truly doesn’t. I can’t wait to see his face when I pull the rug out from under him! Ah, to have a student again, and one of such high caliber as Joker! It makes me feel nostalgic.”

He straightened Admiral Feesh’s bow tie, before hopping up to his chair and pouring himself a cup of tea.

“Alice, Titania, Cerberus, Seth, Kohryu…” Nezu swirled his tea. “And Midnight’s description of the one in the warehouse highly resembles the Hindu deity, Shiva. And there are others in which we have no name for, yet they might be based from mythologies across the world. Hmm, I wonder if this has to do with Joker’s comment on a ‘Sea Of Human Souls’? Isn’t this mystery exciting, Admiral Feesh!? “

Admiral Feesh didn’t answer, but that was quite alright.

In truth…

Nezu’s heart was _warm_. It was an odd sensation, a feeling he had never experienced towards any other human before Joker. Perhaps it was because Nezu truly understood the boy better than anybody else? He rubbed at the spreading pool of warmth in his chest.

“The Phantom Thief of Hearts.” He chuckled as he took a sip of tea. “Indeed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who got Royal for Christmas? ;D
> 
> ALSO!! I would like to thank my betas Mystik_Owl, Gundoru, and Lofti Lofi for helping me so much with the Christmas chapters ;D!


	37. Gentle Madman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What…” Kaito blinked rapidly as she smiled sweetly at him. “What are you?”
> 
> “I’m Alice!”
> 
> “I… I know.” Kaito shook his head. “I saw you being… created? I don’t understand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, a day early!?

First off, oodles of fanart!!

[Amaris](https://twitter.com/aamarisarts/status/1339399733832507393) on Twitter

[Wrath_Of_Nature](https://twitter.com/Wrath_of_Nature/status/1345441656368058369) on Twitter

[Sabo](https://twitter.com/Sabronda/status/1349192123644432385) on Twitter

sirblack4 on Deviantart [1](https://www.deviantart.com/sirblack4/art/Wave-at-the-Camera-Doth-Thou-Even-Steal-Hearts-865291508?ga_submit_new=10%3A1609102459) [2](https://www.deviantart.com/sirblack4/art/Doth-Thou-Even-Steal-Hearts-fanart-863443352) [3](https://www.deviantart.com/sirblack4/art/Kaito-Doth-Thou-Even-Steal-Hearts-864488839)

~*~*~*~

Kaito was bored out of his mind.

He blinked slowly as he propped his chin up with his hand and scrolled through the news feed. He skimmed over titles such as _‘Joker Still Missing During Protests’_ and _‘Total Damage Calculated For Musutafu In The Millions!_ _Should The Hero Commission Pay For It?’_ , but his eyes lingered on _‘Top Hero Ryukyu Leads Musutafu Cleanup!’_. The lounge door creaked open before he could click on it.

He looked up, half expecting to see Akira waltzing in, but there was nobody there.

“Akira?” Kaito stood and peeked over his desk. “Morgana?”

Nobody answered, but something had changed. An intangible feeling trickled into the air, a heavy aura that sent shivers and goosebumps across his body. Kaito narrowed his eyes. It felt like he was being watched, but nobody else was in the room.

Then, there was a giggle.

He sputtered and whirled around to the airy sound. There was a little girl standing behind him, with blonde hair and an old fashioned blue dress that draped past her knees. Her lips were quirked in an amused smile. Kaito stared into wicked golden eyes that didn’t belong on a child, his body went rigid as he was torn away from reality, plummeting into the depths of an inhuman psyche.

_There was a woman singing within a circular room of velvet. Kaito couldn’t move or speak out, but his body was… different. He too many arms clutching curved swords and the indomitable rage writhing in his chest nearly consumed him. He was weightless, and the fluctuating pool of shadows around his body chilled him to the bone._

_There were others too, ancient creatures born from the deepest reaches of humanity's Sea Of Souls. A steady bond flowed through them with the strength of a bursting river, and yet the source of this power, the strongest of them all, was locked away in a cell._

_Realization coursed through him like a poison as he saw Akira clutching the bars with white knuckles. His striped clothes were torn and dirtied. Hefty chains bound his hands together and his movement was restricted from the massive weight tied to his ankle. His expression was set with such deep sorrow that an inexplicable need to comfort him replaced Kaito’s rage._

_Suddenly, the creaks and groans from the countless chains ground in their ears, but that was harmless compared to the death sentence that lay before them. Guillotines, their ethereal blades glowing an unsettling blue, were ready for execution._

_Kaito could almost hear his death throes, but his vision was snuffed out by a thick shroud. He thrashed like a worm in the pitch black darkness, his heart beating out of his chest as the fabric suffocated him. There was a sudden, screaming grind of metal on metal. It screeched to a halt within seconds, and the room was doused with a tense silence. Some glimmer of hope sparked in their hearts at the thought of being spared._

_Someone clicked their tongue off to the side._

_“Damnit! We just fixed this stupid thing!”_

_“Calm yourself, Caroline. You know what to do.”_

_“Right!”_

_A chainsaw’s roar drowned out everything else. It was over so fast. A flash of hot pain, his other selves screamed in silent agony as they were all split apart. He experienced an endless darkness colder than a winter’s night, heard the call of an eternal sleep. Was this how death felt? But… no… There was a sudden bright light, the birth of something brand new came together from the ashes of the old._

_His new self was born from that flow of arcane energy._

_“I’m Alice! I think I’ll be your mask.” She giggled and curtsied to the one in the cell. “You’ll play with me… won’t you?”_

_Ah, his new self felt this bond before. He was the Trickster. A Wild Card. The master of them all, their true other selves. Another flash of pure white energy turned him into… a mask? Just like the one Joker would wear. There was a serene voice just before everything went dark, an eternal vow._

_I am thou, thou art I._

Kaito was thrown back into reality with a gasp. He collapsed back in his chair as sweat trickled down his brow. His heart fluttered in his chest like a bird in a cage. He whipped around and gaped at the girl, his hands curling into fists to hide their trembling.

“What…” Kaito blinked rapidly as she smiled sweetly at him. “ _What_ are you?”

“I’m Alice!”

“I… I know.” Kaito shook his head. “I _saw_ you being… created? I don’t understand.”

Alice tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing in glee.

“You don’t need to be so scared! Big brother actually likes you, so you have nothing to fear from me!” She held a plate of steaming curry in one hand and curtsied with the other. “You wanted to meet some of us anyway, didn’t you?”

“I…” Kaito swallowed the thick lump in his throat. “I did say that before.”

Alice swayed from side to side as she peered into him. She ogled him like a spoiled child would when they contemplated on how to destroy their toys, and he glanced down at the glistening curry in her hands to avoid her soul devouring stare. He vaguely wondered if this is where he would die, if his life happened to be some bad horror movie. 

“Well, big brother was nice enough to make you some lunch!” She said as she pushed the plate into his hands. “He worked hard on it, so you better eat all of it!”

“Thanks?” He flinched as she leaned into his personal space. “I thought Akira would still be sleeping?”

Kaito could breathe a little easier as she stepped away. Her hands fiddled with the hem of her dress and her eyes were downcast.

“He just woke up a little bit ago. We were all worried because he slept in all day yesterday and through the night!” Kaito shivered at the spike of malice in the air, and he swore he saw the ends of her hair _wriggle_. “I… I thought he would be asleep forever, like Grandpa! He’s still recovering and we’re all worried about him. Bird Dad says he might wake up soon, I hope he’s right.”

Kaito blinked slowly. “Bird Dad?”

“Yeah, Bird Dad!” She clapped her hands and giggled. “That’s what we call Arsene! He pretends not to like the name, but we all know he does.”

“I… I see.” Kaito shoved curry in his mouth to keep from smirking.

“Oh, we have a surprise for you! You’re not one of us, but since you looked out for our Trickster, we decided to adopt you too!” Alice grinned from ear to ear. “ You’re not a bird dad, but something close to it. We all decided to call you Step Dad!”

Kaito bowled over as he choked on the curry. Alice patted him on the back before she skipped away giggling, and her polished black shoes sharply tapped against the floor. She slipped into the lounge and he was left there alone, and with his face burning. He hacked a few more coughs and shook his head.

“That kid, I swear to _god_.” He rasped as he rubbed his raw throat.

Kaito frowned as he looked down at the curry. He glanced between his lunch and the lounge door. What the _hell_ did his quirk show him? A singing woman, a prison with purple velvet, and brutal executions with multiple bodies that were technically all _one_ person.

And Akira… 

Why was he in a jail cell? Had someone kept him captive? Was he forced to watch those horrid executions day after day? Forced to… _kill_ parts of himself over and over to gain strength? Is that why the kid was so powerful? Akira had looked broken and resigned, as if witnessing such atrocities was routine for him.

“What the hell was _that_?” He asked to the empty air.

Kaito shook his head and scrubbed at his eyes to push away the growing headache, that or the barrage of new concerning questions that Akira wouldn’t answer. He sighed as he grabbed his plate and went into the lounge. 

Akira, or rather _Joker in full costume_ , sat on one of the sofas. He leaned back, an ankle crossed over his knee, and one of his arms was splayed out on the back of the couch while the other held his phone. He idly scrolled through it. The black tailcoat spilled off the couch and onto the floor. A plate of untouched brownies lay cold on the table. 

Morgana, who had opened an eye to stare at him, was curled up on Joker’s side. Alice hummed a hauntingly familiar tune as she lay her head on Joker’s other shoulder, playfully kicking her legs.

“You know you’d be arrested on the spot if anybody else came in here.” Kaito said as he sat on the opposite couch. “Or you know, we’d _all_ be arrested?”

Joker looked up from his phone. “But nobody else stays here, aside from us.”

“Ouch.” Kaito huffed, displacing a few of his stray bangs. “But a fair point, I guess.”

Joker chuckled and stared back to his phone, oblivious to Kaito’s inner turmoil.

The person sitting in front of him was supposed to be the same kid locked away in a cold cell. And yet, despite all of the torture he endured, none of that trauma was visible on Joker. Kaito’s stomach sank. Akira’s alter ego was just a mask, a persona thrown on the bury the heart wrenching pain as if it had never existed.

Without it though…

He was just a teenager. A _kid_. Someone who was lost and alone in a cruel world, forced to grow up far too early. That same child who was an inch away from having a complete emotional breakdown the other night. Kaito swallowed back the emotions still lingering from his terrifying vision.

Alice lost her playful smirk as she contemplated Kaito, but she stayed silent.

Morgana had both eyes on him now, and he wondered how long he had been sitting here, just staring at Joker.

“So,” Kaito cleared his throat. “Are you feeling any better today, Akira?”

“I’m starting to feel like myself again.” Joker tilted his head to the side, eyes narrowing in thought as his free hand covered his heart. “Well, mostly.”

“I’m glad that you’re getting better.” Alice wrapped her arms around Joker’s neck. “He couldn’t play with any of us!”

Joker grinned and patted her head.

“Good. Great.” Kaito sighed as he set his curry down on the table. “Akira, there’s something I want to ask—”

“Oh, speaking of which!” Joker said as he glanced around the empty lounge. “I wanted to have an important chat with Aiba and Tobita today, but they weren’t here when I got up. And…. I would like to apologize for yelling the other day. Where’d they go anyway?”

“I…” Kaito deflated with a sigh. “Tobita wanted to explore Musutafu today, and I gave Aiba a list of groceries to get before they get back. We’ll need a bigger stock now that we have more mouths to feed.”

Morgana chuckled as he stretched out. “They were wearing ridiculous disguises. I hope they don’t get caught.”

“Hoo boy.” Joker said. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. Hopefully. We’ll keep an ear out in case something goes down though.”

Morgana gave him an odd look, and Kaito had to keep his face from scrunching up.

“So, about—”

“Oh hey!” Joker turned his phone towards Morgana. “Midoriya just invited me over for dinner with his friends.”

Kaito’s eye twitched.

Alice gave him a smug grin, but the other two didn’t notice.

“Who’s Midoriya?” He asked as he straightened his glasses.

“A student from U.A.” Joker said with a nod. “He’s a first year, I think he’s about a year younger than I am? We met a few times and I think he’s a good kid.”

“...I see. Then I think you should take him up on that offer.”

The three of them gaped at Kaito, with Joker blinking rapidly.

“You’re actually going to let me out?”

Kaito rolled his eyes. “There’s a difference between letting you run around town as a wanted vigilante and actually letting you hang out with kids your own age. It’ll be good for you.”

“Huh, thanks _dad_.” Joker typed away on his phone as Kaito jolted.

“ _Please_ don’t call me that.” Kaito muttered as he hid his red face in his hands. “It’s bad enough that the purple kid assumed I was your father, I don’t need you adding to it too.”

“Aww, but we’ve officially adopted you!” Alice said. “You can’t take it back!”

“Alice is right, you know. Once they give you a nickname they won’t take it back, just ask Arsene.” Joker blinked at his phone. “I guess I’ll go to Midoriya’s. Maybe I could text Aiba and have her get a cake? I don’t want to be a bad house guest!”

“Yeah, you do that.” Kaito muttered.

Alice giggled, and while Joker didn’t look at Kaito’s beet red face, there was a tiny smirk on his lips as if he knew. Morgana huffed as he rolled his eyes. They were quiet for a moment as Kaito gathered his thoughts. He waited until the burn on his face ebbed away, and then he sat up straight and placed his hands on his knees.

“Akira, I need to ask you something—”

Kaito shielded his eyes when a blinding flash of light and a hiss of flames overtook the lounge. He slowly lowered his arm, and gaped as Akira was in a dark shirt and sweatpants.

Alice beamed as she bounced on the seat.

Morgana was on his feet. “Hey, that one didn’t take as long as I thought!”

“Yay!! You mastered my bond!” Alice said. “How was it? Was it as hard as Grandpa’s?”

“Nobody could beat Kohryu’s bond. I think he was right in saying that his bond would be a stepping stone towards the others.” Akira put a hand to her head as a genuine smile lit up his eyes. “Yours was still more difficult than most, though, since you’re the ultimate in the Death arcana. You should be proud.”

Kaito paled. Was the little girl somehow _death incarnate_? He decided that would be a conversation he _never_ wanted to have, before throwing the topic in a familiar box and locking it deep within his psyche.

Alice hopped down from the couch and curtsied. Then, with a playful twirl, she vanished in a flurry of blue embers.

“Well, that was certainly… something.” Kaito said.

“Yep, one more bond down.” Akira glanced at Morgana. “I think I should completely master Cerberus’ first, and then move onto Ishtar. I know she’s been mad at me since I mastered Titania’s.”

“Right!” Morgana said with a smile. “The more bonds you master the better off we’ll be.”

“Exactly.” Akira raised a brow at Kaito.“So, you were trying to say something?”

“I…” Kaito suppressed a shiver when he remembered chains creaking. “I am thou, thou art I.”

Akira and Morgana’s jaws dropped to the floor. Akira shot to the edge of the couch as his eyes were blown wide. A pool of gold emerged around his pupils, and Kaito just knew that he was being scrutinized by something not human.

“H-how did you know that phrase?”

“My quirk. It activated when Alice came in to give me the curry. I saw a velvet prison, listened to a woman’s beautiful singing, felt the pain of those beings when they were executed to _make_ Alice. And… I saw _you_. Chained up and thrown in a tiny cell. The last thing I heard before my quirk stopped was that eternal vow. I am thou, thou art I.”

Akira’s face was bone white, and Morgana’s fur stood on end.

“Why were you locked away in that cell, Akira? What did they _do_ to you?”

The silence stretched as the air became heavy, so he decided to go in a different direction.

“These creatures that you control…” Kaito leaned forward to look Akira in the eyes. “They aren’t just a mere quirk, right? They are as much a part of you as you are of them. They feel… like your other selves.”

Akira and Morgana exchanged quick glances, before Morgana’s eyes turned sharp, and his tail began to twitch.

“...That’s correct.” Morgana said. “It’s the same for Mercurius and I, too.”

Akira nodded. “But how did you know that they feel like our other selves?”

“I…” Kaito took a moment to think. “Because I completely understand what that feels like, to be as much a part of another person as they are to you. Obviously, I can’t control my ‘other selves’ like you do, but it would be the same concept.”

The gold in Akira’s eyes intensified.

“You’ve told us a bit about your quirk before.” Morgana scanned Kaito from head to toe. “But how are our powers similar?”

“My quirk throws me into another person’s shoes.” Kaito took off his glasses and put them on the table, then scrubbed at his eyes. “When I relive a person’s life, I really _relive_ it, from their first memories all the way to the present day where my quirk activates. What is mere seconds for the rest of the world could be _years_ for me.”

“Years?” Akira said softly. “So, when you met the Shinsou’s at the cafe, did it…?”

“Yes.” Kaito sighed, and in his eyes glimmered something ancient, exhausted, and incomprehensible. It reminded Akira of Kohryu’s eyes. “Risumi is 35, Ayumu is 37, and Hitoshi is 15. I relived _every_ moment of their lives, experienced all of their hardships, first loves, times of joy and times of loss, and everything in between. They are as much a part of me as I am of them. I gained 87 years when I walked into the cafe that day.”

“87 years?” Akira furrowed his brow. “How old are you, then?”

“Physically, I’m only 29.” Kaito stared down at his fists, his lips dipped into a frown. “Mentally, I have lived countless lifetimes. I’ve stopped adding up the years after ten thousand, though.”

“T-ten thousand!?” Morgana blinked rapidly. “That’s… th-that’s…. How is that even _possible_?”

“Well,” Akira forced a shaky grin. “Maybe we should call you step _grandpa_ instead of step dad.”

“Maybe.” Kaito chuckled, but there was no mirth in it.

“What about Akira and I?” Morgana suddenly perked up, ears forward. “How much of our past do you know about?”

“You two…. are an enigma to me.” Kaito sighed and scratched the back of his head. “My quirk has been an impeccable factor throughout my entire life, but that changed when I met the two of you.”

“What do you mean by that?” Akira asked, shoulders tense. “How are we different?”

“When I first layed eyes on you, my quirk acted… strange. It didn’t show me much, only broken bits and pieces of your memories here and there. Quick glimpses into such places as a floating bank or a perverted castle, or a ship sailing through a flooded city? There was one from a warped underground subway, too. However, when I looked at Alice…” Akira stiffened when Kaito peered into him, his electric blue eyes as clear and pristine as a crystal. “That velvet room was the only clear thing I saw from your past.”

Akira shifted as his face drained of color. His hands were tight fists that grasped his pant legs. He looked over to Morgana, and several silent conversations were exchanged between them in a blink of an eye.

“Despite this, I feel like we understand each other like nobody else has ever understood me before.” Kaito clutched his chin and studied the other end of the room. “Though I have to admit, trying to get to know someone like this has been odd. Isn’t this how other people normally socialize…?”

“If you have a point to make in all of this,” Morgana’s voice turned chilly. “Then make it.”

“Right… I got off topic.” Kaito shook his head and deflated with a long sigh. “I felt your immense pain through Alice, Akira. I understand that it’s not easy for you to share, and I wouldn’t expect it of you when you hardly know anything about me. So, I’ll share something with you that I’ve never shared with anyone else.” 

Akira looked at him warily.

Morgana climbed into his partner’s lap, and Kaito didn’t mention how shaky Akira’s hands were as he pet Morgana.

Kaito’s heart thundered in his ears. “I’ll tell you how my quirk first manifested.”

Akira and Morgana settled back as Kaito took a moment to gather himself.

“I was only four years old. There was a big parade right in the center of Tokyo, a celebration for the police and heroes in the city. I _begged_ my parents to go. We lived in Tokyo anyway at that time, so it wasn’t hard for them to say yes. I barely remember my father carrying me on his shoulders just so I could see everything. It was right in the middle of the parade where I… I….” Kaito sighed as he clasped his shaking hands together, Akira and Morgana stiffened when he blinked unwanted tears from his eyes. “There was a vast sea of people all around us. I relived their lives, one after another after another after another in a near endless cycle.”

“What happened?” Akira asked gently. “A-after it stopped?”

“I-it… _broke_ me. The mind of a young child isn’t prepared for that kind of thing. To _experience_ everything that these people have been through.” Kaito shook his head as the ghosts of old memories haunted him. “Natural disasters, catastrophes, murders and other _unspeakable_ crimes. I was a hero digging bodies out of a landslide. One person was nearly crushed in a villain attack, only to be saved at the last second by a passing hero. I once held a knife to someone’s throat, listening to them as they begged for their life, and they… I can still hear the sound of their blood splashing the pavement…”

“Hey…” Akira shifted in his seat. “You know that you didn’t really do those things, right?”

“I know, but it’s hard to separate them from myself sometimes.” Kaito leaned forward and massaged his forehead. “My quirk doesn’t allow me to forget.”

“But… there has to be some good things too, right?” Akira said, eyes soft. “It can’t all be bad?”

“...I guess.” Kaito muttered. “I’ll never forget the loving warmth of a first time mother holding her newborn, or the unbridled awe of seeing the aurora for the first time. These are only a few examples among many, but it always feels like the bad outweighs the good.”

Morgana jumped from Akira’s lap and onto the table, gently nuzzling Kaito’s hands.

“You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.” Morgana said.

A sad smile came onto Kaito’s face as he scratched Morgana behind the ears.

“It’s okay. It… actually feels good to get this off of my chest.” Kaito said as he continued to pet Morgana. “I… I don’t remember what happened when my quirk _finally_ stopped, just a white haze of pain. The doctors told me that I wouldn’t stop screaming until my voice gave out.”

“Doctors?” Akira asked.

“Yeah…” Kaito was lost in thought as he recalled endless white walls. “I had to be placed in a special facility for quirks like mine. My own power left me as nothing more than a broken husk. I… I wasn’t _me_ anymore. There were a constant flow of doctors and quirks that had to put all of the shattered remnants back together. It took them nearly two decades to sift through everything.”

“I’m sorry.” Akira said with soft eyes. “You shouldn’t have gone through that.”

Kaito shook his head. His hand dropped from Morgana’s head and went to his heart. Kaito bit his lip, but he nodded to himself. He reached behind his neck and undid the chain that was hidden beneath his shirt. Akira and Morgana exchanged glances when Kaito held up a silver medallion, intricately etched with two phoenixes circling around a blade. He held it out for Akira to examine.

“My mother gave this to me ages ago. It’s my family crest.” Kaito said as he let Akira take it, Morgana peeked at it curiously. “It’s a reminder of who I am, in case…. in case I ever lose myself again.”

Akira turned it over in his hands. The necklace wasn’t some cheap knockoff, it was real silver, and the tiny twin jewels that made the birds’ eyes were genuine. He handed back the medallion and Kaito put it back on, letting the silver hang over his shirt.

“Akira, I have to be honest with you.”

Akira raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

“What I said the other day, when I told you that I know what it looks like when someone runs away from their problems?” Akira flinched and Morgana’s ears flattened. “I was talking about myself, too. I was so afraid when they finally let me out of that hospital ward. I… I took what little was left of my parents’ money and fled from Tokyo. Why else do you think I set up this tiny little internet cafe in the middle of a back street? If you haven’t noticed, it’s not exactly the bustling center of town.”

“Oh, I see what you’re getting at.” Morgana hopped onto the couch and rubbed against Kaito’s side. “You don’t want to lose yourself again, right? Putting a business in a busy district would draw a lot more customers…”

“And a lot of customers would mean reliving more lives.” Akira said as he clutched his chin. “Especially since your quirk doesn’t come with an off switch?”

“That’s right.” Kaito sighed as he grasped his medallion. “My real name isn’t even Kaito.”

“Oh? What is it?”

Kaito glanced at Akira with amusement. “I’ll tell you mine when you tell me yours.”

“You—” Akira chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

They were all silent for a few minutes, digesting the information that was shared. Eventually Kaito stood with a long sigh.

“I’ll listen if you ever wanted to share your story, Akira.” He said. “But thanks for listening to mine. It did make me feel better.”

“...Yeah, thanks for sharing that.” Akira glanced in between Kaito and the cold food on the table. “Are you going to eat that, or…?”

Kaito shook his head. “I’m not feeling that hungry right now.”

“Alright.” Akira grabbed the plate and went into the kitchen, and he glanced over his shoulder with a huge smirk. “I’ll wrap it up so you can eat it later, _grandpa_.”

Morgana choked back his laughter.

Kaito sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, then he swiped up his glasses and went to the door.

“Whatever.” He said as his ears turned crimson. “Just let me know when you want to go visit your friend.”

With that, he left the room.

Akira’s smirk fell and he stared into the plate of curry with a frown.

“Wow.” Morgana jumped down. “I never expected him to share something like that.”

“Yeah.” Akira shook his head. “He’s been through a lot, too.”

“I wonder though…” Morgana glanced at the door. “It wouldn’t be too hard to find records on a family crest like that. We could do some research and find his real name for ourselves.”

“No.” Akira set the plate on the counter and leaned against it. “He put his trust in us, and I would rather not go behind his back like that.”

“Fair enough.” Morgana nodded. “So, what do we do now?”

“I think you’re right. We can trust them with the truth.”

Morgana’s eyes brightened. “Yeah! We’ll just have to find the right time.”

“...Yeah.” Akira sighed. “Just not today. I’d like to get it over with and only tell it once.”

“We have plenty of time.” Morgana pranced back to the couch and splayed himself out on the cushions. “Until then, we should just relax until you’re strong enough to heal those hospital patients.”

Akira snorted as he dug out his phone. He smiled at the newest text from Midoriya.

****[Mido]** **

_I did it!! I really talked to him!!_

****[Kurusu]** **

_See? I knew you could do it! :)_

_I’d also like to take you up on your offer for dinner with your friends?_

_Just name the address and time._

Akira left that chat room and went to Aiba’s.

****[CurryGod]** **

_Hey, do you think you could pick up a nice cake for me?_

****[Haxxor]** **

_A cake? Sure!_

_But what for?_

****[CurryGod]** **

_I’m going to hang out with some friends._

_Or at least I think they’re friends?_

_I don’t know yet._

****[Haxxor]** **

_OMG_

_YOU HAVE FRIENDS!?_

_You are telling me the full story when we get back mister!!!_

Akira snorted and tucked his phone away, then got to work on putting the leftovers in the fridge.

~*~*~*~

Hawks placed both hands on the back of his head and leaned back into the leather chair. His vibrant wings were splayed out in a crimson mess. He rolled his shoulders and shifted his wings around, but he just couldn’t relax. Why were there no comfortable chairs for people with wings? He clicked his tongue and got to his feet, glaring at the chair as if it had personally offended him.

How long was the president going to make him wait, anyway?

He spread his wings and closed his eyes. His feathers picked up the sounds of the whole building. The incessant _tap tap_ of countless keyboards. The hum of the air conditioner. How every person’s clothes rustled. The _ding_ of the elevators and the ring of a dozen phones. Inane small talk and false pleasantries peppered most of the building.

Ah, there it was.

There was a screw loose on the front door that gave off a very distinctive creak. Hawks lost his smile as he recognized the sharp footsteps from the president’s polished black shoes. He followed them all the way to the door. Hawks forced his wings to relax as it swung open, and he threw on an easy smile.

“President Kunikazu!” He chirped. “Sooo, how did that all important meeting at U.A. go?”

Kunikazu scoffed as he rounded Hawks and sank into his plush desk chair.

“It was a waste of time.” The man said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I swear that school is cursed. I’ve had a blasted migraine ever since stepping foot onto the grounds. But we aren’t here to discuss what happened at U.A.”

“Oh?” Hawks tilted his head. “Then why did you call me here?”

Kunikazu leaned forward with a glare, and Hawks felt a curl of dread when the president’s eyes glimmered. He relaxed back with a playful smirk, but he swore that Kunikazu knew that he was sweating. In truth, Hawks _hated_ those eyes. They were eyes that could burn a person from inside out, scorch their very soul until there was nothing left but a burnt corpse.

He’s had plenty of experience with Kunikazu’s quirk during his early years of training. ‘Pain tolerance’ is what they said. Or at least that’s what he thought he heard. He couldn’t exactly tell when his seven year old self was screaming and begging for mercy.

 _“-awks._ ”

“I’m sorry. Come again?” Hawks blinked as the president’s glare intensified. “I worked long hours yesterday, so I’m sorry if I’m a bit spaced out.”

“I said you know what you’re here for.” Kunikazu waved his hand. “You signed that petition.”

“Oh, really?” Hawks tapped his chin as he pretended to think. “I think I would’ve remembered singing a petition! A petition for what? Save the whales? Or was it save the trees? I can never remember—”

“ _Hawks_.” He froze as the president stood, and Kunikazu’s shadow loomed over him. “You know what petition I’m talking about. One of my agents watching it saw _your_ name on the list.”

“Ohhh, _that_ petition.” Hawks grinned as he clapped his hands together. “Now I remember! The one for Joker, right?”

“You arrogant—” The president cut himself off with a shake of his head. “Do you know how much work goes into making sure that your real identity doesn’t reach the public? And then you throw all of that back in our faces! What the hell were you thinking!? There’s also the matter of you ‘conveniently’ losing your phone the morning of the raid. Don’t play me for a fool.”

Hawks’ grin faltered, but he forced it back up. The president was acting… strange. He normally wasn’t this angry over one of Hawks’ mistakes… or a deliberate act to get under their skin. Kunikazu was usually calm and collected, so maybe that meeting at U.A. really did frazzle him, but he’d dig into that later.

“There’s more than one Takami Keigo in the world, you know.” Hawks said with a wink. “And besides, do you really think that the bounty matters anymore? I doubt people will call in after what happened in Musutafu. Not to mention poor Hiro.”

“What are you talking about?” Kunikazu grumbled.

“The guy who called in the tip, Hotaru Hiro.” He lifted his wings in a shrug. “His name somehow got out to the public, and now I hear that he’ll be breathing through a tube for the next several months. No witnesses to the assault either, what a surprise. I’m just sayin’ that the bounty won’t work anymore. You should seriously try something else, but Joker is so popular now that I don’t think anything will work.”

“Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?”

Hawks refrained from rolling his eyes. “Of course not—”

“Then I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself.” Kunikazu sank back into his chair, and Hawks breathed a bit easier when he wasn’t drowning in the man’s shadow. “I’m disappointed in you, Hawks. To think that you’d take a vigilante’s side after everything we’ve done for you.”

“I—”

Hawks shut his mouth when Kunikazu’s eyes brightened. He could almost feel his insides smoldering.

“I’m cutting your allowance and increasing your patrol hours. Perhaps a bit of hard work will help you see that your silly little games won’t get you anywhere. Now get out, I have real work to do.”

Hawks ground his teeth together as he kept up his cheeky grin. He turned on his heel and skipped towards the door, but his smile dropped when it shut behind him. Hawks clutched at his chest as a bead of sweat trickled down his brow. He looked up and down the empty hall and decided to make himself scarce. He walked over to the elevator and tapped the button. Hawks waited, his foot tapping incessantly on the too clean floor.

The elevator finally opened, and he was about to step in when he ran into someone.

“Oh, Ryo-chan!” Hawks fluttered back to give the man space. “Long time, no see!”

“Hawks.” Warmth came into Ryoto’s smile. “It has been a while. How have you been?”

“Oh, you know…” Hawks waved his hand. “Busy. Too busy if you get what I’m saying.”

Ryoto’s eyes softened. “I’ll order fried chicken from your favorite place and have it sent to your apartment tonight. Sound good?”

“I knew you still loved me!” Hawks beamed as the tips of his wings quivered. “It would be much appreciated.”

Ryoto was… well, Hawks didn’t know how to put it. He was one of the only people in this whole building that wouldn’t outright stab you in the back. Ryoto was a ray of hope when Hawks was first thrown into the Hero Commission’s clutches. He was only Kunikazu’s secretary at the time, but he would sneak into Hawks’ room after a rough training day and read stories to help him fall asleep, or snuck candy and other treats when nobody was looking. There was one time where he risked everything to sneak Hawks out one night to see a fireworks festival.

It was the best night of his life, full of fried festival food and glittering fireworks.

They got in serious trouble for that one, but Ryoto somehow turned it around and was invited to join the board. The man never lost it in him to treat Hawks with kindness. 

“Hey, sooo…” Hawks looked up and down the hallway as he stage whispered. “Does the pres seem different to you? What happened at U.A. to make him so….”

“Irritable? Irrational?”

“Yeah! That.”

“I’m not sure.” Ryoto clutched his chin. “I know he got a sudden migraine when we got there. The meeting itself was… _interesting_ to put it lightly.”

“Ooh?” Hawks grinned. “Interesting how? You can’t keep all of the gossip from me!”

Ryoto snorted, but he paled when he got a text message. Hawks peeked at the screen and recognized Kunikazu’s number. He had the feeling that Ryoto was just as much under Kunikazu’s thumb as he was.

“I would love to stick around and chat, but Kunikazu’s patience is especially short today.” Ryoto bowed his head and walked around Hawks. “See you later?”

“Yeah.” Hawks waved with a grimace. “Later.”

He had to call the elevator again, and the sudden sense of loneliness on the way up made his feathers itch. He buried those feelings in the usual desolate place in his mind, sighing in relief as he reached the top floor. Hawks always felt lighter once the wind caressed his hair and filtered over his wings. The familiar cityscape stretching out around him would never get old.

“That was totally worth it.” He muttered as he spread his wings.

Signing his own name was an act of rebellion. If he could, he would support Joker with everything he had. Right now though, he was just a pretty bird in a cage on the verge of getting his wings clipped. As he stared out into the city and heard its myriad of different sounds, he just knew.

He’d never be free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nezu from Chapter 12 - “However, I think that his keepers used this person, under a false name, to try and gain his trust. It was not an uncommon tactic to get experimental subjects to cooperate. Torture was always a close second, though.”
> 
> Ryoto’s not using a fake name, but same concept…. ;) 
> 
> Some people on the discord chat called Kaito a boomer, not knowing just how right they were xD
> 
> ALSO!! We hit some more milestones!! Passed 100k hits and just over 3k Kudos?? I never thought to see those numbers, ever... Thank you so much everyone! :D


	38. When My Mother Was There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Izuku! Kurusu-kun is here!”
> 
> “YOU INVITED KURUSU-KUN!?” A pair of voices screeched in unison.
> 
> “Kirishima, Ashido, there is no need to shout!!”
> 
> “S-sorry!” 
> 
> “Hey, you’re shouting too!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I want to thank my awesome betas Lofti Lofi, Mystik_Owl, and Gundoru for helping out with this chapter!

Fanart!

[Sabo](https://twitter.com/Sabronda/status/1351681501172097024) on Twitter

[sirblack4](https://www.deviantart.com/sirblack4/art/More-Doth-Thou-Even-Steal-Hearts-fanart-867337870) on Deviantart

~*~*~*~

****[CurryGod]** **

_I can handle this by myself._

_I don’t need babysitters._

****[Haxxor]** **

_Cut us some slack!_

_You know what happened the last time you were left unsupervised._

****[CurryGod]** **

_But I won’t be unsupervised…?_

_Sigh. Fine._

_Tobita, Morgana, I know you can read this._

_Please make sure she doesn’t do anything crazy?_

_I don’t want these kids’ private lives violated, either._

****[Haxxor]** **

_Fine!_

_We’ll be nearby if anything goes down._

_Just give us a signal if you need an intervention!!_

Akira sighed when she sent a thumbs up emoji and he pocketed his phone and looked up to the apartment buildings. Strange, they looked like those buildings Kohryu dropped him at. Maybe it was just a coincidence. He adjusted his glasses and made his way up the second building.

“Fourth floor, apartment number three.” He mumbled.

Akira hovered at the door. The little bronze number 3 hung on the door and there was a happy welcome mat in front of it. He raised his hand to knock, but froze when faint laughter echoed from within. It reminded him of when Ann and Ryuji would joke around. How Futaba and Yusuke would bicker with one another, with Makoto shaking her head and sighing at their antics. He imagined Haru’s angelic smile as she took it all in, quietly sipping on tea.

Akira’s stomach clenched and a cold shiver ran up his back, and his hand slowly fell to his side. He stepped away and shook his head.

 _“Why the hesitation, Trickster?”_ Arsene asked.

 _“I just…”_ Akira swallowed thickly. _“These kids aren’t like the people from back home, so I’m having second thoughts about coming here.”_

_“It’s not like you to have such doubts.”_

_“Hmm, I think I know what the problem is.”_ Ishtar whispered. _“You’re afraid to get close to these other children because you feel that they are shallow replacements for the friends you lost.”_

 _“You’re right.”_ Akira said as his stomach churned. _“I just miss them so much…”_

 _“I know, Trickster, but remember the Magician’s words.”_ Ishtar’s confidence flowed into him. _“I believe we can put our trust in these children. Not as Joker, but as Kurusu Akira. The Kurusu Akira who would like nothing more than to have friends. Perhaps they can heal Amamiya Ren’s heart as well.”_

 _“Nothing will replace the other Thieves, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get close to others here. That was our original goal, right?”_ Arsene said gently. _“The more people we have in our circle, the easier our time in this world will be.”_

_“You can leave and pretend that something came up, or you can gather your courage and knock on the door. I trust you will make the right decision.”_

They left him in silence.

Akira shuffled on his feet as he looked up and down the hall, Ishtar’s faithful presence at his back. He could do this. Akira took a deep breath and slowly let it out, and then raised his hand to knock on the door. The laughter in the apartment stopped, and the faint thud of footsteps trailed closer.

A plump woman opened the door. Her long viridian hair was tied up in a loose half bun, with the rest flowing down her back. Her eyes were soft. Warmth blossomed in his heart when she smiled at him.

“Oh, you must be Kurusu-kun!” She held the door wider. “Come in, come in! My son has told me so much about you! Oh, what’s that you have there?”

“Strawberry shortcake.” Akira sheepishly grinned as he held up the box. “For dessert. I hope that’s okay, Midoriya-san?”

“Of course it is, sweetheart! And please, call me Inko.” She leaned in with a subtle smirk. “’Midorya-san’ makes me feel old.”

Akira chuckled as he slipped off his shoes and she led him down the hallway.

“Izuku! Kurusu-kun is here!”

“YOU INVITED KURUSU-KUN!?” A pair of voices screeched in unison.

“Kirishima, Ashido, there is no need to shout!!”

“S-sorry!”

“Hey, you’re shouting too!”

Inko laughed as she turned towards him. “I’ll go ahead and take the cake to the kitchen, dear. The others are in the living room.”

Akira nodded as she took the box, and she waved him down the hall to a small living room. Its pale walls were decorated with small paintings and family photos, and bookshelves with textbooks and hero movies alike lined one wall.

Uraraka sat on the couch between Asui and a grinning Ashido. Kirishima shot up from the arm chair, beaming. Midoriya stood up from where he sat on the floor next to… Iida. The blue haired boy blankly stared as Midoriya approached.

“Kurusu-kun!” Midoriya smile was too bright. “I’m glad you could make it!”

Akira couldn’t help it. The brotherly instincts that Futaba honed were too great to ignore, and his hand reached up and patted Midoriya’s fluffy hair. Midoriya’s eyes exploded with stars and sparked warmth in Akira’s heart, but they froze at the _click_ of a camera. They slowly turned towards the others in the room, who were all gaping.

“This one’s a keeper!!” Ashido said with a devious grin.

“Sorry.” Akira withdrew his hand and rubbed the back of his head. “Force of habit?”

Midoriya was as stiff as a statue, but he couldn’t hide anything from them.

“D-deku!” Uraraka shouted. “I-I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go that red!?”

“Your face is just as red, Ochako-chan.” Asui said.

“That was so manly!” Kirishima called.

“We didn’t know you were coming!” Ashido pocketed her phone and pouted. “Mido, why didn’t you tell us!?”

“I-I wanted it to be a surprise?” Midoriya squawked, face still crimson.

“Well, it was a pleasant one. Long time, no see, Kurusu-kun.” Asui said as she tilted her head at him. “How have you been, kero?”

“I’ve been…” He put on his best smile. “Alright.”

“Are you sure?” She slowly blinked as she caught his hesitation. “You look a little bit pale.”

“I was pretty sick for a while with the flu.” Akira chuckled as he waved her off. “But I’m feeling much better now.”

“Hmm, if you say so.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better!” Midoriya whirled around to Iida. “Oh! You and Iida haven’t met yet, have you?”

Iida adjusted his glasses as he got to his feet. “I don’t believe so, but there has been no small amount of words from Ashido about you.”

“Huh?” Akira blinked several times as he looked at the pink girl. “ _Really_?”

Ashido’s grin turned sheepish and she scratched the back of her head. Her cheeks were dusted a dark maroon.

“Yeah, dude! We told our whole class about you!!” Kirishima said. “I hope you don’t mind?

Akira snorted. “Not at all, as long as it’s good things, of course.”

“They have been mostly positive.” Iida said. “And she talks nonstop about the cafe.”

“I can’t help it!!” She cried. “The food there is just too good for words!”

“Oh!” Kirishima turned to Iida. “How have you not been to the Blue Lotus yet!?”

“To be fair, I don’t think half of our class has been there.” Uraraka said. “I-I haven’t been there in a while either.”

“I will have to change that then!” Iida froze, and then wildly chopped his arms. “But where are my manners!? It’s nice to meet you Kurusu-kun! My name is Iida Tenya!!”

Asui chuckled. “He does that a lot, don’t let it get to you.”

“Yes!! I—” Iida froze as he scrutinized Akira’s face. “I’m sorry, but have we met somewhere before? You look awfully familiar.”

“So I’m not the only one who still thinks so, kero?”

“RIGHT!?” Kirishima pumped his fists.

“But it’s like I said back at the cafe.” Akira slid on an easy smile as he held up his hands. “I only came to this city recently, so it would be impossible for me to have met any of you.”

“Ah, I see!! Is it a side effect of your quirk, then?”

Everyone stiffened. Midoriya’s eyes flicked between them. Ashido and Kirishima exchanged quick glances, with the former’s bright grin falling into pursed lips. Iida furrowed his brows as he looked at his friends.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Not really, no.” Akira said with a shrug. “Actually, I’m quir—”

“Everyone!” Inko stepped into the living room. “I was about to start on dinner! Is there anything specific that you want?”

“Ooh!” Kirishima’s grinned at Akira. “I wish we could have the curry from the cafe!”

“Yeah!” Uraraka beamed. “Mina always brags about it. Is it really that good?”

“It’s too delicious to even put into words!” Ashido threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t help it! Aw man, now I’m craving it, too!”

“It’s alright, Ochako.” Asui smiled as she patted Ashido’s arm. “I am curious about the curry too, kero.”

“Well,” Inko rubbed her hands together. “Good thing I bought ingredients for curry! I did buy some pork in case Izuku wanted some katsudon.”

Midoriya gasped. “Maybe we can have katsu curry?”

Akira couldn’t say no when Ashido and Kirishima gave him the biggest puppy dog eyes. He smirked as he turned towards Inko.

“Can I help?” Akira asked.

“But you’re a guest, sweetheart! You should relax.”

“It’s okay.” Akira waved his hand as he looked at the others. “I love to cook, and I’m always eager to learn a new recipe. Besides, I don’t think I can say no to them.”

“And Kurusu’s curry is amazing!” Kirishima clapped his hands together. “Please, Inko-san!? You won’t regret it!”

Ashido threw herself off the couch and got on her knees. “Pretty please!?”

Inko chuckled. “Very well. I just can’t say no when you give me those puppy dog eyes. Come along then, Kurusu-kun!”

Akira chuckled as he followed her into the kitchen amidst victory cheers.

“Mom’s katsu and Kurusu-kun’s curry… _combined_.” Midoriya whispered with wide eyes. “I can’t think of anything better.”

“Yes!” Kirishima dug out his phone as he plopped back into the armchair. “I am _so_ bragging to Sero and Kaminari about this!”

“Ooh!” Ashido whipped out her phone. “Let me join in too!”

“You all seem to get along with him relatively well.” Iida clutched his chin as he looked towards the kitchen. “I have never met him before, but it feels like I _know_ him from somewhere. I just can’t place it.”

For some reason, a phantom pain in Iida’s shoulder burned, but he payed it no mind as Kirishima looked up from his phone.

“I think he just has one of those faces?” He said with a shrug. “I thought that too when I first saw him!”

“Me too!” Midoriya said.

Asui raised her hand. “Guilty as charged.”

“Strange.” Uraraka blinked. “He didn’t have that effect on me or Mina.”

Ashido tore her eyes away from her phone with a curt nod.

“And you’re sure it’s not his quirk?” Iida asked.

“W-well, that’s-!” Midoriya opened and closed his mouth several times, but nothing came out.

Iida’s brow pinched as they all exchanged glances. Uraraka shuffled in her seat as she avoided Iida’s eyes. It was Asui who cleared her throat.

“Iida-kun…” Asui poked her cheek and blinked at him. “Kurusu-kun is quirkless.”

Iida flinched. “O-oh. I… I see.”

Ashido stiffened as she gave Iida an inscrutable look.

“But that doesn’t matter!” Kirishima placed his phone on the table and sat at the edge of his seat. “He’s quirkless, but he’s so nice! A-and so manly and cool too! He’s a total _badass_. He even stood up to _Bakugo_ when he found out that Kurusu-kun was quirkless!”

Midoriya’s face drained of color. “H-he did!?”

“Yeah, man!” Kirishima’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Bakugo scared like that!”

“Oh my gosh!” Ashido cackled and slapped her knee. “I never would have thought that Bakugo could look like such a frightened kitten! Kurusu-kun was _scary_ , and then he just served us our food with this angelic smile. It was too funny!”

“I wish we got a picture of it.” Kirishima said.

“He…” Uraraka tugged at her hair as her eyes fell to the floor. “He also let me borrow his umbrella when it was down pouring and I didn’t have one.”

“And that’s how we all got to meet him.” Asui said with a smile. “Because Mina-chan wouldn’t let it go.”

Ashido winked. “You know it!”

Midoriya scratched the back of his head and chuckled. “He gave me advice when I was struggling with something. He… he really helped me when he didn’t have to.”

“I see. You have all spoken so highly of his character.” Iida stared at the ground, and then chopped the air with both arms so suddenly that Midoriya had to duck. “People are not the sum of their quirks! As heroes-in-training, I think that we should take that to heart!”

Midoriya’s head snapped up to Iida, his eyes watering.

“I feel like it’s a lesson that a lot of people have yet to learn, hero-in-training or not.” Asui looked over her shoulder towards the kitchen, where the clatter of dishes could be heard. “I can tell that there is a deep sadness in him. I wonder what’s happened to make him like that.”

“W-well…” Midoriya’s hands curled into fists as several emotions flowed through his eyes. “P-People aren’t that nice when they figure out that you’re q-quirkless, especially in our generation. They can be…. pretty harsh. O-or that’s what I read, anyways!”

“Maybe that’s why he’s so strong.” Uraraka’s eyes softened as he clutched her chest. “I remember when Deku-kun and I first bumped into him. He was just trying to find a job, but I don’t think people were kind to him since he was quirkless. It took him ages to find that cafe!”

“Well, if he’s sad, then we just have to make him feel better!” Kirishima pounded his fists together, beaming. “After all, he has us now!! What kind of heroes would we be if we just abandoned him!?”

“Yeah!” Midoriya pumped his fist.

“I agree, kero.”

“I already consider him a badass friend!” Ashido’s golden eyes gleamed with mirth. “And I’ll always help my friends!”

“Hmm, I can see how much trust everyone has placed in him.” Iida stood ramrod straight. “Very well! As Class Representative, I shall do my best to also befriend him!!”

“Uhh…” Kirishima’s eyes flashed with amusement. “So are you actually going to be his friend or are you going to lecture him as our class rep? He doesn’t even go to our school.”

Iida sputtered, and it earned a round of chuckles.

“Besides, I think he’s older than us?” Midoriya said with a head tilt.

“Oh, so that makes him like an awesome big brother!?” Kirishima suddenly lurched forward, his hands rubbing his hair. “Hey, do you think if I ask nicely, then he’ll give me a head pat too!?”

“M-maybe?” Midoriya jolted as his face regained it’s crimson hue, his voice in a slightly higher pitch.

“I want one too!” Ashido said. “So, Mido, how does Kurusu’s head pat feel!?”

“I-it…” Midoriya’s eyes darted around the room as he refused to look at them. “It feels nice…? I-I don’t h-have any other siblings, s-so maybe it’s what a r-real big brother would do?”

“He certainly does give off that sort of vibe, kero. I do that to my younger siblings all the time.”

“Tensei also gives off that same feeling.” Iida clutched his chin in though. “Like… like you could count on him in a crisis, that he would have your back no matter what.”

“Totally!” Kirishima opened his mouth, but he froze as he sniffed the air curiously. “Do you guys smell that!?”

They all took a moment. The air danced with delicate spices that warmed their palettes as well as their hearts, and the faint _sizzle_ echoed from the kitchen.

“Oh, wow!” Uraraka beamed as her mouth watered. “That smells _amazing!”_

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Kiri!?” Ashido said.

“Yeah! It’s what the Blue Lotus smells like now!” Kirishima hopped to his feet. “Hmm, I wonder…”

“Kirishima, where are you going!?” Iida asked as he chopped his hand.

“Shh!” Kirishima held a finger to his lips as he crept towards the kitchen. “I want to see Kurusu-kun in action!”

Ashido leapt to her feet and rubbed her hands together.

They looked in between one another, and they followed with a shrug. The girls stood on one side of the hall and carefully peeked around the corner. Kirishima, Iida, and Midoriya took the other side, with Kirishima squishing the other two to the wall. They watched as Akira and Inko hovered over the bubbling stove.

Inko ladled some curry sauce into a small saucer and took a sip.

“Oh my!” Her eyes flew wide open, and she gaped at Akira. “You have quite a talent, young man! Where did you learn to cook like this?”

“I had a good teacher. I worked with him at his cafe and he taught me everything he knows about coffee and curry.”

“That’s lovely! Is his cafe still open? I would love to visit it!”

 _“You have eavesdroppers.”_ Arsene whispered, amused. _“Now would be a good time for a heartfelt reveal.”_

Akira saw them in the corner of his eye. They all stared at him curiously, and Kirishima and Uraraka were drooling over their friends. Did they even teach stealth at U.A.? He was doubtful, because one of them shifted, and the creaking floor gave them away. Still, he pretended not to notice.

“Ah, well you see...” Akira idly stirred the bubbling sauce, frowning. “It was in Tokyo, but there was a villain attack that got out of hand and he… he didn’t make it.”

Inko gasped and covered her mouth.

It was easy for Aiba to forge. There were huge villain attacks in Tokyo all the time, and to insert Leblanc’s information into the database was child’s play for her. Both Sojiro and the building were listed in the casualty reports taken from a destructive battle between a villain and multiple heroes. Even though it was fake, his heart wrenched when he first laid eyes on Sojiro’s death certificate, and it stayed at the bottom of the file. Anyone would find the information if they decided to look into Akira’s ‘background.’ 

“Oh, you poor dear.” She put a soft hand to his shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks. To tell you the truth, he was more like a father figure to me.” Akira smiled, but it wasn’t happy. “He was the sort of guy who gave you tough love, but deep down he really did care. He was the one who took me in after my parents abandoned me.”

“Why did your parents…” Inko wrinkled her nose, but her shoulders fell with a long sigh. “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business if you don’t want to talk about it, sweetie.”

“It’s okay. My parents…”

Akira curled into himself as he stared into the curry sauce, his eyes fogging over with certain memories. His parents were always a sore subject, even back home.

 _“A sprinkle of truth always makes the story believable.”_ Arsene said softly. _“But sharing your real past is for you to decide.”_

“My parents and I were never that close. It always felt as if they were pushing me away.” Akira made his decision, pushing back the prickly thorns around his heart. “My mother was crass and overbearing. My father… my father wasn’t the nicest man either, especially when he was drunk. Their marriage wasn’t the happiest, and they screamed at each other more often than not. I think… I think it was _my_ fault that they had to stay together. But then…”

Akira sighed, and the whole apartment held it’s breath.

“They got rid of me the first opportunity they had, because of something that I had no control over. You see, I… I don’t have a quirk. Maybe I was just a burden on them the whole time.”

He heard Midoriya gasp as Inko stiffened.

“Sweetheart, look at me.” Her tone left no room for argument as she placed her hands on his shoulders. “I’m sorry to say this, but those people were not your parents. They may have raised you, but real parents would never abandon their children, no matter the reason. I think it was fate that brought you and that man together. Remember that _he_ was your real family, not _them_.”

There was a certain fierceness and iron willpower embedded in her entire body.

Akira didn’t know what sparked the burn in his eyes or the lump in his throat. He tried to hold back the sudden surge, but his quivering lip gave him away.

“Oh,” Inko’s bubbly softness returned with a watery smile, and her eyes glistened too. “Do you need a hug?”

He nodded, and she gently pulled him forward. Her embrace was like Risumi’s. They both encased him in the warmth and softness of a mother’s love, and Risumi smelled of cinnamon and sugar while Inko had a vivid aroma of carnations. He basked in it.

Why was it that he never got this from his own mother? …Did his parents really hate him that much? He never got so much as a text or a phone call after they booted him to Tokyo. Inko must have sensed his distress, and she tightened her embrace. She gave him all the time he needed, and after a few more moments in warmth he decided to pull away. He lifted his glasses and dabbed at his eyes.

“S-sorry.” A shaky chuckle escaped him. “I didn’t mean to share that much. It all just… spilled out?”

“Don’t worry about it. I think we all need a nice, warm hug every once and a while, no?” Inko blinked, and stiffened. “Wait. You… Where are you staying if your previous guardian passed away? You aren’t… you aren’t living by yourself or out on the streets, are you?”

“I have somewhere to stay.” Akira nodded. “I’m living with my grandfather right now, he’s strict but fair. He doesn’t care that I’m quirkless.”

Kaito would _murder_ him if he ever heard Akira say that.

“Good. That’s… good.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “But you will always have a place here if you ever needed a day or two away from things. I know Izuku won’t mind one bit. We don’t have all that much, but we’d gladly share our home with you.”

Akira smiled as his heart filled with warmth. “Thanks. I’ll… keep it in mind.”

“Good. Oh!” Inko turned to the stove. “The food should be finished! You can go clean yourself up if you want. The bathroom is just down the hall.”

“I’ll be fine. Really.”

“If you say so, sweetheart. Well, let’s go tell Izuku and the others—” She turned, and then stiffened. “Oh dear.”

Akira followed her gaze and flinched.

Midoriya and Kirishima’s eyes leaked like waterfalls and made their own puddles on the floor. Uraraka had both of her hands over her mouth as if she tried to stifle sobs. Asui was the most stoic of the bunch, but her eyes were watery. Iida’s face turned crimson and he bowed his head. Ashido looked torn between punching something and choking him with a hug.

He honestly forgot they were there.

“Did…” Akira scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. “Did you guys hear all of that?”

“We’re sorry!” Uraraka stepped out from behind the wall. “W-we didn’t mean to eavesdrop like that, honest!”

“Yeah! We just wanted to watch you make curry!” Kirishima bolted into the kitchen and shook Akira’s shoulders. “But dude!! How do you keep getting even _more_ manly!?”

Akira blinked at him. “Huh?”

“You went through all of that, kero.” Asui approached with a faint smile. “And to still be so kind to other people is pretty amazing.”

“My dude!” Ashido lightly punched him in the arm, and now he noticed the film of tears in her eyes. “That’s it! We’re officially adopting you into the group! And no, you don’t have a choice!”

“You’re our buddy now!” Kirishima threw an arm over Akira’s shoulder. “You’re stuck with us whether you want to or not! Isn’t that right, everyone!?”

Iida adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. “You can count on us if you ever need something, Kurusu-kun!”

There was a round of hearty agreements. Even Inko clasped her hands together and nodded.

Akira looked into all of their smiling faces.

 _“If anything comes up, you tell me. I’ll help you with whatever you need.”_ Ryuji’s voice echoed within his mind. _“I’ll be countin’ on you, Leader! And you can count on me too!”_

_“You can lean on me, too!”_

_“It must have been troublesome dealing with me, but for some reason, I knew you wouldn’t abandon me until everything was said and done. Thank you, my friend.”_

_“...Thank you for your help. It must’ve been difficult babysitting the uptight Miss President, right? Even so, I’m glad I asked you.”_

_“You gave me my life back, so it’s my turn to risk my life for you. Feel free to tell me anything. I’ll do whatever I can to help!”_

_“I’d like to return the favor. If you ever find yourself in trouble, I’ll be there for you. Feel free to rely on me from now on.”_

_“You know, I only wanted you to help out with the store. But you showed me so much more, you showed me I have a family that I need to protect. Not just Futaba, but you too.”_

His silence sparked concerned looks between them. Then, he laughed. It was lighthearted and bounced around the kitchen, and he couldn’t help the honest smile blooming on his face.

Midoriya gaped as Kurusu’s eyes changed. The dull grey brightened into polished silver. The gold around his pupils glimmered like he had never seen before. Almost as if… as if Akira had regained his hope.

“Thank you, everyone.” Akira said, and his eyes were so soft and brimming with warmth. “This means a lot to me.”

Midoriya suddenly burst into tears.

“Hey, man!” Kirishima shouted. “Why are you crying?”

“I-I don’t know!?” Midoriya scrubbed at his eyes. “B-but you’re crying too!”

“What!? I-I’m not crying! I just caught something in my eye!”

“Really?” Ashido sniffled, but she was grinning, too. “Then what did you catch?”

“TEARS!!!”

Akira grunted as Kirishima latched onto him with an iron grip, his glasses fell askew and bounced on the end of his nose.

“Kirishima!!” Iida chopped his arms wildly, like a machine going haywire. “You don’t need to strangle Kurusu! That, and what would you do if his glasses fell off and broke!?”

“S-sorry!!”

“Don’t worry about it.” Akira had a grin to match theirs as he adjusted his glasses.

Suddenly, they were all silenced by a gurgling rumble. All eyes turned to Uraraka, who turned beet red as she clutched her stomach.

“I’m sorry….” She whispered. “I skipped out on lunch.”

“Well, then I think now would be a good time to eat!” Inko’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “Izuku, can you set the table?”

“O-on it!”

“I’ll help too!”

Kirishima released Akira and helped Midoriya carry dishes out.

“Um…” Uraraka glanced at Akira as she wiped away the last of the tears. “I-if it’s not too much trouble, could I have some of that hot chocolate you made from the cafe?”

“Oh, I’ll try some too!” Kirishima called from the other room.

“I would not be opposed to having a cup.” Iida said with a firm nod.

Akira smiled. “Sure.”

“Everyone get seated as I put the food on the table.” Inko waved them from the kitchen, except Akira and Asui. “I’ll be back in a moment to show you where everything is, Kurusu-kun!”

Akira nodded, and then he turned to Asui. “Did you want to try some hot chocolate too, Asui-san?”

“I would love some.”

She studied him for a long moment, blinking slowly. Then, she approached and gently patted his arm.

“And please, call me Tsu-chan.” She said as a smile quirked her lips. “It’s what my friends call me, and after all of that I would like to consider you my friend.”

Akira blinked rapidly. “Thanks, Tsu-chan.”

Her eyes brightened and she nodded at him, before she went to join the others. Inko came back into the kitchen and they made a round of Akira’s special hot chocolate before going to the table. They were all squished into one tiny table, but nobody cared about the closeness. The food was passed around and they said their thanks, and Akira snorted when they got their first taste.

“I could die happy now…” Uraraka said as she scooped another massive bite.

“Right!?” Kirishima had curry sauce all over his face. “This is awesome!”

Ashido slapped the table as she shoveled more food into her mouth.

Iida was as still as a statue, gaping at the delicious food in front of him as if his brain crashed. Like Kirishima, he had curry sauce on his lips and dove in for the next bite.

Tsu-chan was the quietest of the bunch, but the honest smile and the bright light in her eyes had said enough.

Inko was positively beaming as she watched them eat.

Akira’s eyes occasionally fell to Uraraka, who had finished her plate first. She reached for seconds, but hesitated with a scrunched brow. She slowly pulled her hand away and sat quietly, everyone else was too busy eating to notice her downcast eyes.

Akira’s heart hurt as she reminded him of Yusuke. He gently took her plate and scooped another heaping portion, giving her a wink as he handed it back. She hastily muttered her thanks and tucked in.

“—And then Mina shouted ‘Hee hoo!’, and oh man you should have seen our sensei’s face!”

“His expression was certainly…. thunderous.” Iida said.

“What happened then?” Akira asked with a subtle smirk.

“She totally got detention!!” Kirishima laughed.

“Yep!” Ashido leaned back in her chair and fanned her face. “He made me sort through all of U.A.’s files! _All_ of them! It was totally not fair!!”

“It was kinda funny if you ask me.” Kirishima added, and she elbowed him in the gut.

“Aizawa-sensei still gets angry at that phrase, and also any time somebody mentions glitter.” Iida said with a firm nod. “But in his position I think I would be too.” 

Aizawa. _Eraserhead._

Akira sipped on his hot chocolate to soothe his bone dry mouth. He set the cup gently on the table and balled his fists on his lap. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“What’s your teacher like?” Akira asked carefully.

“Hmm?” Iida looked at him. “Why do you want to know?”

“Oh, no reason.” Akira smiled to hide his nerves. “I took online classes because of all the bullying, so I never really had a teacher like him before.”

“Really?” Inko blinked at him. “And how are the online classes treating you?”

“They were pretty easy. I got enough credits to be able to graduate high school early.”

“Oh, I remember you mentioning that a while ago!” Kirishima said.

“That’s quite impressive.” Iida said as he adjusted his glasses. “I admire your dedication!”

“Lucky.” Ashido muttered. “I can barely understand half of my homework.”

“But to answer your question, Kurusu-kun…” Tsuyu tilted her head and looked to the ceiling. “The very first day Aizawa-sensei had us all do a quirk assessment, and whoever got last place would have been expelled.”

Midoriya’s face burned, and he poked at his curry.

“Seriously?” Akira blinked. “Did he really expel someone?”

“Nah,” Kirishima shook his head and nudged Midoriya. “He called it a ‘logical ruse’ so that we would all do our best! But man, it was pretty scary!”

“No kidding…” Uraraka shook her head. “It would suck to get expelled on your first day!”

“Aizawa-sensei is certainly a rugged man.” Iida said slowly. “But he is a fair mentor. I believe that he just wants to prepare us for the real world of hero work, so he doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to his teaching methods.”

“Sounds rough.” Akira muttered.

“Yeah.” Midoriya scooped up the last of his curry. “But I agree with Iida-kun! He works us hard, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”

“And he really does care about us!” Uraraka said. “H-he fought so hard to protect us at the USJ, a-and he takes the time to tutor us if we really need it!”

“He’s certainly rough around the edges.” Tsuyu said as she set down her spoon. “But he’s a good man.”

Akira thought of Kaito’s words.

_‘I’m just thinking objectively. He has a reputation for working with vigilantes and he’s a teacher at U.A., so I don’t believe he would intentionally hurt Akira like this.’_

_‘Eraserhead is a rational man, but deep down he would care.’_

_“Hmph.”_ Arsene’s growl resonated with many others. _“Just because he is a ‘good man’ to his students, doesn’t mean that we’ll forgive him so easily! He doesn’t deserve our trust. Remember how charismatic Shido was? How Madarame’s simple charm deceived the rest of the world? Such desires can lay below the surface. Who’s to say that this man is any different?”_

Akira’s stomach sank like a stone.

 _“I don’t know what to think right now.”_ Akira said honestly. _“But I agree with you, Arsene. He had a chance to earn our trust and blew it.”_

“Well, if everyone’s finished.” Akira snapped out of his thoughts as Inko stood. “Then I think it’s time for dessert! Kurusu-kun was nice enough to bring a cake!”

“There’s always room for cake!” Kirishima shouted as he slapped Akira on the shoulder.

“What kind of cake?” Tsuyu asked.

“Strawberry shortcake.”

“Oooh!” Ashido cheered. “The best kind!”

Inko brought out the cake covered in white frosting, succulent red strawberries glistened when she cut into it. There was enough for everyone to have one slice, and it was pure sugary heaven. It was perfectly simple dessert after a heavier meal. They all leaned back in their chairs when there wasn’t so much as a crumb left.

“Oh man.” Uraraka said as she patted her stomach. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so full.”

“Food coma time…?” Kirishima mumbled with droopy eyes.

“Falling asleep at the table is considered bad manners!” Iida said as he chopped a hand at Kirishima. “You should know better!”

“R-Right!” Kirishima jolted and rubbed at his eyes. “I’ll stay awake, I promise!!”

“It is getting late though.” Inko eyed the clock on the wall. “And most of you have class tomorrow!”

“Aw man!” Ashido sulked in her seat.

“I-it’s that late already!?” Uraraka stood up. “I-I better get going before the last train leaves!”

“It feels like we just got here.” Tsu-chan said with a tilted head. “Funny how fast time flies when you’re having fun.”

“Well, if it’s alright with Midoriya and Inko-san.” Iida pushed up his glasses as he stood. “Then we should not overstay our welcome! And remember we all need at least eight hours of sleep before classes tomorrow!!”

Oh, Morgana would be fast friends with Iida.

“It was nice to have you all here.” Inko said with a smile. “I’m really glad that my Izu made such lovely friends!”

“M-Mom!!” Midoriya hid his crimson face behind his hands.

“And to think we didn’t even get to your baby photos, Izuku!”

“BABY PHOTOS!?” Ashido slammed her hands on the table and shot up. “Now this I just have to see!!”

“I-it’s getting too l-late!” Midoriya frantically waved his hands and bolted from his chair. “I-I’ll s-see you guys out!”

He hurried them towards the entrance, his face still burning.

“Oh, Midoriya.” Akira said. “You still have my bento box, right?”

“R-right! Um, one moment.”

Midoriya ducked down the hall and opened a door with an All Might plaque.

Kirishima exchanged glances with Akira. Kirishima popped his head into Midoriya’s open door, and his jaw dropped.

“Dude! You have so much All Might merch!!”

“You really are a fan boy, Midoriya.” Tsuyu chuckled.

Midoriya whirled around as they all glanced around his room. All four walls were lined with All Might posters, his desk had rows upon rows of All Might action figures, and his bed had the hero’s bright blond hairdo and smile, too. One item on his desk was different.

“Is that Joker’s mask?” The others froze and looked to where Akira pointed.

“Y-yes!” Midoriya was a tomato at this point. “I-I just saw it a-at the mall and thought why not? Y-you know!?”

“Can I try it on!?” Kirishima beamed.

“Uh, sure?”

“Me next!!” Ashido said as she bounced on her heels.

“You two!!” Iida shouted. “You can’t just wear somebody else’s merchandise!!”

“It’s okay, Iida!” Midoriya said.

“I kind of want to try it on, too.” Tsuyu said with a tiny smile. “My siblings really like Joker.”

Akira had to bite his lip to keep from smirking as Kirishima threw on the mask.

“Woah, this is _so_ cool!” Kirishima stood tall and placed his hands on his hips. “Do you think Joker knows about all of the merch people are selling?”

“How can he not?” Iida said as he furrowed his brows. “The stores selling them have exploded in popularity. I find it hard to imagine that it would escape his radar!”

 _“Well, they’re right about that.”_ Arsene whispered.

“My turn!!” Ashido swiped the mask and put it on, blinking several times. “Man, I need one of these! Wouldn’t it be hilarious if Joker saw us right now!? How do you think he would react?”

It took every strand of willpower in Akira to keep a straight face.

“Who knows? I would ask for an autograph if he were here!” Kirishima said.

Iida and Midoriya exchanged quick glances as they stayed silent.

Ashido passed the mask to Tsuyu, who stuck it on her face, blinking innocently.

 _“They are adorable.”_ Titania whispered. _“Hey, Cerberus….”_

_“Hmm?”_

_“Now that I’m getting a close up look at your green child, I can’t help but make a certain comparison to another persona.”_

_“O-Oh, really?”_ Cerberus’ tail twitched. _”A-and who would that be?”_

_“Your little brother, Orthrus! The green child’s hair is the exact same color as Orthrus’ mane. Its just as unkempt too!”_

_“No way.”_ Byakko grinned at Cerberus. _“Is that why you like this child so much?”_ _  
_

 _“I-I….”_ Cerberus turned away from them.

 _“Oh my gosh, it is!”_ Alice chuckled. _“That’s adorable, Cerberus!”_

 _“There’s no shame in it.”_ Arsene said as he tipped his hat. _“You feel a special bond with Midoriya because of Orthrus, right?’_

 _“...Yes.”_ Heat radiated from Cerberus as he turned his back to them. _“I-I just see the green child as family, okay!? And now his mother too… I am happy that we got to see them today.”_

The other personas cooed at him.

“Kurusu-kun?”

Akira blinked up at the others, who were all staring at him with some concern.

“What?”

“We were just wondering if you wanted to try on Joker’s mask!” Kirishima said. “But you were kinda staring off into space?”

“Oh. No thanks.” Akira held up his hands. “Sorry, I’m just tired.”

“Aw, I bet you would look good in it Kurusu-kun!” Ashido said with a sly wink.

“Well, it is getting late!” Iida shouted. “I don’t blame you for being exhausted. Let’s call it here, yes?”

“Can we get a picture first?” Tsuyu asked. “Just as a memento?”

“Uh, s-sure?” Midoriya had donned the mask, and it ironically fit perfectly

“Dude, keep the mask on!” Kirishima said as he pulled everyone together and held up his phone. “Say cheese!”

Uraraka and Tsuyu huddled in between Iida and Kirishima. Midoriya was in the middle with _his_ mask on, and although Akira was at the end, he threw on a grin and held up bunny ears behind Midoriya. Ashido was squished into his side and also put bunny ears behind Akira’s head. The picture was taken with a blinding flash.

Midoriya sputtered as he stared at Akira, who shamelessly grinned back. Uraraka and Tsuyu giggled. Iida had a soft smile on his face as he studied the picture.

“Can you send it to me?” Uraraka asked.

“There’s no way you’re cutting me out on that!” Ashido gently elbowed Akira. “You’re totally getting it too!”

“Sure!” Kirishima snickered. “Kurusu! What’s your number so I can send it to you?”

Akira blinked as he dug out his phone and they all exchanged numbers, save for Midoriya. He stared at his ever growing contact list, a hint of a smile on his lips.

“R-right!” Midoriya slipped off the mask as he handed Akira a wrapped bento from his desk. “I believe this is yours?”

“Yeah, thanks for keeping it safe.”

Midoriya’s eyes sparkled. “No problem!”

“Let’s do this again sometime, kero.” Tsuyu said as they left Midoriya’s room. “I had a lot of fun.”

“So did I!” Uraraka said with a grin.

They filed from the room and stepped down at the genkan, slipping on their shoes as Midoriya opened the front door. The cool night air seeped in.

“It is imperative to keep in touch with such important people in your life!!” Iida said with a firm nod. “I would not be opposed to it either.”

“You have a funny way of putting things, bro.” Kirishima nudged Iida with his elbow. “But I agree!”

Akira pushed up his glasses. “Same here.”

Kirishima and the others grinned at him.

Uraraka paled when she checked her flip phone. “Th-the trains!!”

“Right!” Iida turned on his heels and power walked down the hallway. “Let’s all go to the station together!!”

“Iida-kun, wait up!” Uraraka called as she ran after him.

“Hey, don’t forget about me!!” Ashido waved her arms as she chased after Uraraka.

Tsuyu followed along with a chuckle.

Midoriya waved as Kirishima linked arms with Kurusu and raced after them. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and he looked to his mother.

“You have such wonderful friends, Izuku.”

Izuku looked down the hall.

His eyes fell on Kurusu and Kirishima. Kurusu was _smiling._ It was a _real_ smile. That deep seated sadness, while Izuku knew it was still lurking under the surface, was nowhere to be seen. Kurusu was livelier than he had ever seen him!

“Yeah.” The radiating warmth in Izuku’s heart seeped into his smile. “They really are amazing.”

~*~*~*~

Later, Akira was grinning at the group photo. The flash had whited out his and Iida’s glasses, but it was a good picture nonetheless.

“Hey, put that thing away.” Morgana squinted at the bright light. “We need as much rest as we can get. We’re going to heal those hospital patients tomorrow night, right?”

“Right. Sorry.” Akira turned off his phone and huddled down in the blankets. “Hey, Morgana.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you ready for your debut?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Morgana sighed. “I just hope it works. Mercurius and I need to get stronger so we can help out more!”

“What, have you getting bored since you can’t go to the Blue Lotus with me?”

“W-well it’s not just that.” Morgana stretched out over him and yawned. “I’ve been doing some thinking. I should find something more to do while you’re at work during the day. I could scout places out, or maybe dig up information when Aiba is too busy. Me just sitting here day after day is a waste of time and my skills.”

“I don’t know…” Akira said with a frown. “What if something happened to you and I wouldn’t be around to help?”

“Now you know how I feel about you.” He said with a dry chuckle. “How about we talk about this more some other time? It’s getting late.”

“Okay. Good night, Morgana.”

Morgana crawled up and settled his head underneath Akira’s chin.

“Good night, Ren.” He whispered as he fell asleep.

The Raven Nest’s peaceful silence and Morgana’s even breathing relaxed him, and his heavy eyes slowly drooped closed.

All in all, it was a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, we've had fluff! We've had angst! Now, it's time to get on with the show!
> 
> NEXT TIME on 'Doth Thou Even Steal Hearts?'!!!
> 
> Joker and Mona take the Spotlight!


	39. Keep Your Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Relax Mona,” Joker said with a smirk. “This won’t be as bad as riding Seth or Kohryu. Maybe.”
> 
> “Oh, that’s reassuring.” Mona mumbled into his chest.
> 
> “Now, there’s no time to lose!” Gentle Criminal cried. “We jump!”
> 
> “J-jump!?” Mona cried. “Now, wait a second—!”

Fanart!

[Amaris](https://twitter.com/aamarisarts/status/1356351603842887680) on Twitter

[sirblack4](https://www.deviantart.com/sirblack4/art/Do-you-need-a-hug-869343091?ga_submit_new=10%3A1612495288) on Deviantart

~*~*~*~

Akira rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he closed the door to his cubicle.

“Are you sure you don’t want to nap a bit longer?” Morgana whispered from his shoulder. “We still have some time to kill before we head out.”

“Nah.” Akira shook his head. “I don’t want to oversleep, either.”

“Hmm, if you say so.”

Akira stepped into the lounge, and Morgana’s nose twitched at the faint scent of flowers and a hint of citrus. Akira glanced over Tobita’s shoulder, who stood over a boiling pot in the kitchen.

“Is that Oolong?” Akira asked.

Tobita glanced over his shoulder. His eyes brightened and he warmly smiled. Akira felt a knot in his stomach, as he felt like he didn’t deserve the man’s kindness after his outburst the other day.

“It is!” Tobita said. “I always brew tea before going out as Gentle Criminal! Oolong has many health benefits, and I thought it would be a perfect beverage before we head to the hospital! Do you want a cup?”

Akira smiled. “Sure.”

"It’ll be done momentarily.”

Akira nodded and went to sit on one of the couches.

Aiba, who sat on the opposite couch with her laptop on the table, looked up at him. She tilted her head, studying him from head to toe.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better.” Akira leaned back into the cushions as Morgana hopped down next to him.

“You look like yourself again.” Tobita brought a tray of steaming oolong tea to the table. “Perhaps hanging out with your friends was the best remedy after all?”

“Maybe.” Akira grasped the cup that Tobita offered and took an experimental sip.

“What about Kohryu?” Morgana asked as Akira savored the flavor. “Is he awake yet?”

“No.” Akira sighed as he swirled his tea. “Arsene thinks he could wake up at any time now. It just doesn’t feel the same without everybody there, you know?”

“I get it.” Morgana’s ears drooped. “Mercurius went silent since I tried summoning him. I miss him.”

Akira grimaced.

“Do you think Mercurius is okay?” Aiba asked gently as she took the next teacup.

“I don’t know.” Morgana furrowed his brow with a sigh. “He feels pretty weak.”

“Let’s hope that our plan works, so that your companion can recover.” Tobita said as he sat next to Aiba. “But are you certain you’re ready to go back out? There’s no need to rush.”

“I’m sure.” Akira took a slow sip. “Most of those people are still in the hospital. That, and the protests are really getting out of hand, so reemerging into the public might calm people down.”

“Agreed.” Morgana said with a firm nod. “We should act now that Akira is feeling better.”

“When do you want to leave?” Aiba asked.

“Well, there’s still some time before it gets dark.” Akira leaned back and crossed his legs. “And there’s something that I wanted to ask before we do anything.”

“Alright.” Aiba smiled at him. “We’re listening!”

Tobita nodded as he nursed his tea.

“First, I wanted to apologize about yelling the other day—”

“You don’t need to apologize!” Tobita said. “You went through a traumatic experience, and such things need time to properly heal. Please don’t be sorry for feeling out your emotions.”

“Exactly!” Aiba said. “We’re not mad at you or anything, either. We understand.”

“I…” Akira blinked several times and then ducked his head. “Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it.” Tobita waved his hand. “Though I am curious as to what else you needed to talk about?”

“Just a question between fellow thieves.” Akira shrugged and looked at Tobita, who blinked curiously at Akira’s sharp eyes. “What’s your ultimate goal as Gentle Criminal?”

“Oh!” Aiba perked up. “That’s easy!”

“Indeed!” Tobita stood up and placed a hand on his heart, the other raised his teacup in a toast. “My ultimate goal is to carve my name in history, so that future generations will know how I, Gentle Criminal, have lived! I aspire to take steps towards the highest echelons of infamy, so that my name will never be forgotten!”

Aiba had stars in her eyes as she set down her cup and clapped, Tobita preened at her praise. Akira and Morgana were frozen, waiting.

Akira bit the inside of his cheek as he and Morgana shared a look. Morgana was thinking the same thing. The fame nearly tore the Phantom Thieves apart, it burrowed into their heads until they lost sight of their goal to help people. If it wasn’t for Morgana and the harsh trials Haru went through, then they would have lost their way.

 _“A false claim to the Gentlemen Thief name!”_ Arsene cried. _“We must reprimand him and fix this before the damage is irreversible!”_

Akira nodded and decided to rip off the band aid. He gently placed the teacup on the table and leaned forward, and Morgana’s fur bristled. Akira’s eyes blazed gold, but neither Tobita nor Aiba noticed yet.

“Is that it?”

Aiba and Tobita jumped and whipped their heads towards him, eyes wide. Aiba shivered as goosebumps broke out on her arms, and Tobita looked as if Akira had just slapped him.

“What…” Tobita cleared his throat. “What do you mean?”

“If _fame_ is the only thing you’re after, then you have no right to call yourself a gentlemen thief.”

Aiba froze. “Wh-what are you talking about?”

 _“Summon me! Allow me to show them the error of their ways!”_

“Arsene wants to talk to you.” Akira stood with a sigh. “I think you should listen to what he has to say.”

Tobita swallowed, but he nodded.

They cried out at the flash of blue flames engulfing Joker. He stood there, grinning as the flames ebbed and fluttering embers danced around him.

Another being stood behind him, dwarfing everyone in the room with a sweep of pitch black wings. They’d apologize to Kaito about the faint scorch marks later. Arsene ran a finger under his hat and splayed his wings. The room was small enough for the feathery tips to touch opposite walls.

Tobita felt like a tiny child when Arsene stared him down, his fiery facial markings simmering with a quiet rage.

“Let me ask you this.” Joker peered into Tobita’s wide eyes. “What do you think makes a gentlemen thief?”

Tobita nodded. “Being famous is a must for a gentleman thief!”

“That is a part of it, I suppose.” Joker shook his head. “But there’s a bigger meaning to the title. Arsene?”

Arsene leaned over the Trickster with his arm outstretched, and the tip of his claw prodded Tobita’s chest, right over his hammering heart.

“A true gentlemen thief doesn’t only long for the throes of fame!” Arsene shouted. “Taking the title of a Gentlemen Thief should be no simple task! They do not want for reckless violence or intimidation, they steal from those who do not deserve their wealth and aiding those that truly need it!”

“We’ve seen your videos.” Morgana’s ears drooped. “All you do is cause a public scene and run away when the heroes get there, right?”

“W-well—”

“Have you ever planned any heists or stolen anything?” Joker asked. “Or are all the things you do random?”

“I…” Tobita slowly sank into the couch. “I’ve never actually _stolen_ anything? I don’t really plan anything before hand, either.”

Aiba bit her lip as she threw a confused glance at Joker.

“Hmph.” Arsene pulled his arm back and shook his head like a disappointed parent. “Not only do you tarnish the name, but you have no panache! It’s any wonder that you got this far with your selfish desires.”

Hurt flashed in Tobita’s eyes.

“Arsene.” Joker glared at his other self. “You don’t need to be so harsh.”

A puff of smoke fumed from Arsene’s mask, but he said nothing more.

“Look, it’s not that we doubt your skills.” Morgana said. “But if you want to be a _real_ gentleman thief, then you need to go in a different direction. You can help a lot of people with powers like yours, but the things you’ve been doing are more harmful than good.”

“He’s helped me!” Aiba threw her arms into the air. “W-without Gentle, I…. I would be….”

She rapidly blinked the tears from her eyes as she wildly shook her head.

“I know, and I’m glad he did.” Joker said as his eyes softened. “But he could help so many more with a little nudge in the right direction. There could be countless others like you who might need help.”

Aiba wrung her hands together and glanced over at Tobita, who turned pale. His eyes were downcast and an ugly knot of shame slithered around his chest, right where Arsene’s claw touched him.

“I… I think I understand?” Tobita gently smiled as he placed a hand on her head. “Manami is one of my closest friends now, but you’re saying that I could help more people like her?”

Aiba wiped her eyes and blinked at Tobita.

“Exactly.” Morgana said.

“Gentleman thieves will help those who cannot help themselves.” Joker reiterated. “Like…. like this person.”

Arsene stayed quiet as Joker reached into the hidden breast pocket, and held it out to Tobita. The man gently took the paper, and blinked down at it with a furrowed brow. Aiba peeked at it, her eyes lighting up in recognition.

“This is…?”

“The missing poster for Shirogane Kaien.” Aiba’s eyes softened. “He’s a quirkless teenager who went missing three weeks ago. Th-the police stopped looking for him within a handful of hours.”

“Oh?” Joker glanced at her. “Did you find information on him?”

“Well, not about Shirogane directly, but I should bring it up. I meant to share it with you earlier, but with the raid and the storm, a-and everything else that’s happened, I just forgot about it.” She glowered at her lap. “A-and then I found something else too.”

“What do you mean?” Morgana asked. “What else did you find?”

“I-it’s just…” She reached for her laptop and flipped it open. “I was digging around in the police archives.”

Joker raised a brow. “And?”

“And he’s not the only person who went missing in the same time frame.” She flipped her laptop around so they could see, Tobita leaned forward to look at all of the files on screen. “All of these people went missing around the same time, with more disappearing as time goes on. Most of them have been quirkless, that’s probably why it’s not getting much media attention. But there’s another group of people who have been missing for quiet a while longer, and from different parts of Japan. They didn’t _seem_ connected at first, but when I dug deeper…”

She tapped on her keyboard, and a sickening image came up, all exposed brain and dead, beady eyes.

Arsene’s growl was like a roll of thunder, mimicking the trepidation sparking in Joker’s own heart.

“T-the USJ Nomu?” Morgana’s blinked rapidly. “What does this have to do with the missing people?”

“The information was classified, so it took me a bit longer to crack it.” Aiba sighed and shook her head. “The DNA of multiple people made up that Nomu, m-most of them match some of the missing files you see in front of you.”

Joker turned ashen. “What about Kaien?”

“As far as I know his DNA hasn’t been matched, but I haven’t looked into any of the other Nomu yet. The police network is highly protected, so it’ll take more time to get that information without getting caught.”

“But…” Morgana’s eyes widened. “But that means he’s in serious trouble. All of these people are! Can you get information on the Nomu from Hosu?”

“I can manage it, I just need time.” Aiba firmly nodded. “But I wonder how they are made in the first place?”

“Wait. The League Of Villains.” Joker’s eyes lit up with a righteous fire. “They were the first to appear with a Nomu _and_ Handy Man and Smokey were present during the Hosu disaster, too. That could tie them to the kidnappings, if not make them responsible.”

“I don’t like this, Joker. Not one bit.” Morgana curled his tail around himself. “I just thought that the Nomu were powerful people with even more powerful quirks, but if they’re _manufactured_ like some twisted experiment…” Morgana shook his head and hopped on all fours, his eyes burning bright. _“_ Then we have to do something!”

“And we will. I promised Kaien’s sister that I would do what it takes to find him.” Joker pulled at his gloves. “We’ll rescue Kaien and any others who were kidnapped. I’ll stake my name on it.”

“Spoken like a true Gentleman Thief!” Arsene shouted with a wave of his arm.

“I…” The poster crunched in Tobita’s hand. “I wish to help, but… but if I’m not a true gentleman thief, then what use am I?”

“You _can_ help.” Joker reached over and placed a hand on Tobita’s shoulder.

“How? Arsene is right. I’ve failed a lot of things in life, but if I’ve even failed at being Gentle Criminal, then what more do I have?”

“You have all of us.” Joker grinned. “You’ll have to find your own answers in the end, but let Morgana and I help you out.”

“You will?”

“Of course.” Joker nodded. “First things first, we’ll heal those at the hospital, and then we’ll plan out our next move from there.”

“Didn’t you say that Giran contacted you before?” Aiba asked as she looked in between her boys.

“Yeah.” Morgana narrowed his eyes. “But we don’t trust him.”

“I know, and I’m not saying that you should trust him, but Giran is the _best_ at what he does.” Aiba said. “If anybody could dig up information on these missing people and the league of villains, then it would be him. Even I have limits, you know.”

“I guess it’s worth a shot.” Joker shoved his hands into his pockets. “But we’ll be careful when we meet up with him.”

“And if that man dares to fool us—” Arsene held up his arms as cursed black and red mist flowed over them. “Then he’ll have _us_ to answer to.”

Tobita swallowed thickly. He made a mental note to _never_ make Arsene angry again. 

“Well.” Morgana jumped to his usual perch and rubbed against Joker’s hair. “We have our work cut out for us! C’mon, it should be dark out by now! We’re burning the midnight oil here!”

“Right!” Joker ran a hand through his hair and grinned. “It’s showtime!”

Arsene boomed with laughter as he vanished in a display of dark feathers and bright blue flames.

“Ah!!” Aiba blinked several times to get rid of the spots. “Warn us next time you do that!”

“And where would the fun in that be?”

Aiba jumped down from the couch and stomped over to him, her tiny fist didn’t even hurt as she punched his leg several times.

“Just… just give me and Gentle some time to change into our costumes!” She darted towards her cubicle. “Not all of us can be as fancy as you!”

Morgana chuckled as Joker smirked. They looked over to Tobita, who had been staring at the missing poster with inscrutable eyes.

“Are you okay?” Joker asked. “I’m sorry if Arsene sounded harsh, but I think you needed to hear that.”

“Y-yes, I’m alright.” He slowly looked up. “You and Arsene made me realize that I have been very self-centered. To think that I could have helped a lot more people like this young man here, but I didn’t even think about them. I only thought about myself.”

“Hey.” Joker’s footsteps splashed the lounge with color as he approached. “Don’t beat yourself up too much. Everyone has room to improve.”

“I… I wanted to be a hero when I was younger.” He said with a shake of his head. “But I failed to get my license several times, and then got expelled after an incident with another hero. I thought that being Gentle Criminal would redeem me.”

“You can still be a hero to people!” Morgana chirped.

“Just not a legal one.” Joker winked at him. “Besides, you’re not doing _all_ bad. You have a reason to keep going. There’s something that only _you_ can do, right? Someone that you want to protect?”

Aiba rushed back into the room in her La Brava costume, her fingers fiddling with one of her heart shaped earrings.

“Gentle, I think one of my earrings is stuck! Can you help me?”

Tobita’s unease melted with gentle warmth as he looked at Aiba, and he suddenly knew what Akira meant.

~*~*~*~

Thirty minutes, one costume mishap, and a harsh lecture from Kaito later, and the group found themselves on the roof. The night sky was clear and the city stretched out before them like a glittering map of stars. The calm breeze weaved through their hair.

Joker had a smile on his face as he looked out to the city. Just standing here, gazing out into the streets, soothed that constant ache in his heart. Joker glanced at La Brava as she chuckled, the screen splashing her face with pale light. For a split second, he mistook La Brava for Oracle. He shook his head to clear it. La Brava was a whirlwind on her laptop, eyes tracing over the lines of code that only Futaba would understand.

“Aaaand.…” La Brava tapped the enter key with finality. “There!”

Mona blinked at the screen. “And what did that do, exactly?”

“She certainly did…” Gentle Criminal stroked his beard and tilted his head. “Something?”

“Boys…” She rolled her eyes and pulled up a map. “First, I launched my one social media program, so that’s ready to go when you are. Second, I just hacked into the police radio and cleared a path to Musutafu General Hospital! There won’t be any heroes or police nearby as long as we stick to this route.”

“But what about heroes like Ryukyu?” Joker asked as he glanced at the sky. “She’s still in town looking for me.”

“Not necessarily.” She closed her laptop and tucked it into her bag. “They’ve been having her help clean up the destroyed warehouses, so she hasn’t been able to patrol for you. We should be fine as long as we don’t draw attention to ourselves.”

“Alright then.” Joker stepped to the edge of the roof. “Let’s get this show on the road!”

“Wait!” Mona glanced over to La Brava and Gentle Criminal as they stepped up beside Joker. “How are we all getting there, exactly?”

“I’m glad you asked!” Gentle Criminal beamed as he held his hand out to La Brava. “I believe the use of my quirk would be the swiftest way. I’ve memorized the route that La Brava planned out!”

La Brava took his hand and then smiled up at Joker, who grinned back as he took La Brava’s other hand. Mona stiffened as Joker used his other arm to tuck him safely against his chest. Mona’s claws pierced his leather suit. 

“Relax Mona,” Joker said with a smirk. “This won’t be as bad as riding Seth or Kohryu. Maybe.”

“Oh, that’s reassuring.” Mona mumbled into his chest.

“Now, there’s no time to lose!” Gentle Criminal cried. “We jump!”

“J-jump!?” Mona cried. “Now, wait a second—!”

Joker stepped off the roof, hand linked with La Brava’s. Mona screamed as the wind whistled in their ears and the hard concrete reached up to meet them. Magic tinged the air as Mona was about to cast Garudyne, but he was too late. They met the concrete. Or rather, the three of them sank a good foot into the ground, the concrete as elastic as a trampoline.

Joker had a second to marvel at how their landing spread warped ripples of color across the stretchy pavement.

Mona’s eyes were comically wide. “What the—”

He was cut off as they were launched into the sky. The not-cat held on for dear life as the wind whipped at them and they soared over the rooftops. Joker’s tail coat flared against the moonlit sky. La Brava and Gentle had equal grins on their faces.

They reached the height of their jump, their stomachs in their throats, before plummeting back to earth. Joker burst out laughing when another elastic barrier formed in mid air, high over the heads of oblivious people.

“Hang on!” Gentle Criminal said.

“I want off this crazy ride!” Mona shouted when they were shot through the air a second time.

“C’mon, Mona!” Joker said as the rooftops were a blur underneath them. “Why don’t you live a little and just have fun!?”

“I’ll have ‘fun’ after this craziness is over!!”

“I thought you weren’t afraid of heights!?” La Brava laughed, her pigtails bouncing. “And don’t you already have wind powers!? Flying shouldn’t bother you so much!”

“W-we can talk about this later!”

His following shrieks were diffused by the busy nightlife down below. Nobody thought to look up to the chain of vigilantes flying through the air, and no heroes or police were around to report any strange activity, either. An idea sprang in Joker’s mind.

“Hey, you want to see a trick?”

“What kind of trick?” La Brava asked over the wind.

“Here, take Mona and watch!”

“J-Joker, don’t even think about it!” Mona shouted, but it was too late.

Joker smirked as he put Mona on La Brava’s shoulder. His hand slipped away from hers and they cried out as he plummeted to the ground. His grin stretched from ear to ear as he splayed out his arms towards the open sky. Several personas joined in with surprised wails.

_“Yatagarasu!”_

A blue spark summoned Yatagarasu from the mindscape, flapping his wings wildly as he trailed Joker.

Joker shot out his grapple, the wire coiling several times over itself as the hook embedded into a brick wall with a solid _thunk_. His hair was swept back as he swung in an arc. He pulled it back on the height of his swing, laughing as he pulled his body into a familiar backflip, before shooting out the grapple once more. He sprouted the widest grin as he twirled through the air like an acrobat.

He came to the apex of his jump, a sweet moment of stillness spent gazing out into the city, before it was ripped away by gravity. His laughter bounced around the empty alleyways as he pulled himself into flips and elegant rolls, the wind howling in his ears. The pure sense of _freedom_ shot through him like adrenaline, and his worries were cast aside, if only for a moment. There was no other feeling like it. 

“Trickster!” Yatagarasu called. “As fun as this is, should we not concentrate on our task?”

“Oh, fine.” Joker shot out the grapple one last time. “You mind helping me get back to the others?”

“Leave it to me!”

He took a page from Mona’s book and used Yatagarasu’s Magarudyne to launch himself high into the air.

La Brava gaped as he linked hands with her mid-jump.

“Are you an idiot!? You could’ve gotten hurt!” She said.

“Do you see what I have to deal with everyday!?” Mona griped as they landed on another elastic air trampoline. “I tell him he’s crazy all the time!”

“He certainly doesn’t lack the theatrical prowess.”

“Don’t encourage him, Gentle!”

“R-right. Sorry.”

“It was worth it, though!” Joker said, laughing. “You should’ve seen the looks on your faces!”

“That’s not funny!” Mona shouted.

Subtle amusement flowed from Yatagarasu’s bond as he soared gracefully behind them. 

Gentle Criminal made several smaller barriers to slow their descent, and they landed on a grassy hill overlooking Musutafu General Hospital. Mona groaned as he slowly slid from La Brava’s shoulder and landed on his back.

“I don’t want to ever do that again.” Mona murmured.

“You can’t tell me that that was any worse than riding two dragons!” Joker knelt next to him and poked his belly. “Or do you remember when we rode Bird Brain’s quirk at the USJ? That was pretty fun, too!”

“You did _what_ at the USJ!?” La Brava asked.

“A lot of things.” Joker looked over his shoulder and winked at her. “But that’s a story for another time.”

“Ugh,” Mona rolled over and shook his head. “Can we just heal these people and go home?”

“You do realize,” Gentle Criminal stepped forward, his eyes shone with amusement. “That we’ll have to be faster on our way back? Healing an entire hospital will certainly draw attention!”

Mona stilled. He blinked several times. His whole body drooped as he accepted his fate.

“We’ll be fleet of foot and as swift as the wind.” Yatagarasu landed on Joker’s shoulder, shuffling his wings. “As long as there are no more ‘tricks’ up the Trickster’s sleeve.”

Joker snickered as Yatagarasu playfully nuzzled his hair. “Alright, alright! We’ll take a picture and then get on with the show!”

“Fine. _Fine_!” Mona jumped on Joker’s other shoulder, his tail thrashing. “But first…”

Mona smacked his paw right in the dead center of Joker’s forehead.

“Ouch, your tiny paw hurt _so_ much.” Joker smirked as he rubbed at the spot. “What was that for?”

“For being an idiot.”

La Brava and Mona stared at each other, having said it at the same time. Gentle Criminal covered his laughter with a cough. Yatagarasu huffed in amusement, before vanishing into cinders.

“I knew you’d gang up on me one day.” He said with a shake of his head, his other hand reaching into his pocket. “Let’s just take the picture.”

Joker chuckled as he held up his phone, making sure that the hospital was clear in the background. He held a calling card between his pointer and middle fingers, only the ‘Take Your Heart!' side was visible. Mona simply rolled his eyes and smirked back at the screen. Joker threw on his best smile as the camera flashed.

Joker tilted his head as he stared at the screen.

“Hey, can you look up certain numbers from your computer?”

“Yeah?” La Brava blinked at Joker. “Why? Who’s number do you want to look up?”

“Detective Tsukauchi’s.”

“What!?” Mona flinched, but Joker had that smirk that wouldn't take no for an answer. “Why would you want to contact _him_!?”

“What kind of Phantom Thief would I be if I don’t tease the detective who’s after me?”

For some reason, Arsene hummed in approval.

“Fine!” La Brava rolled her eyes. “But not until we get home safe and the signal is scrambled.”

“Deal.” Joker’s smirk grew. “You have all the other cards in your bag?”

“Yup!”

La Brava shrugged off her backpack and dug through it, producing a thick stack of calling cards. She handed it to him with a raised brow.

“Why did you need so many copies?” She asked.

“For this.”

Joker held up the stack, and Mona concentrated. A powerful breeze picked up around the hill, and countless cards fluttered in a vast cloud of black and red.

“Normally, we’d post these all around the hospital the day before.” Mona said.

“But that’s not an option we have anymore.” Joker gestured to the hundreds of cards raining down on the hospital grounds. “We figured this was easier.”

He pulled Titania into reality with a mere thought. She brushed off the lingering embers and smirked, with Gentle Criminal and La Brava marveling at her beauty. The moonlight made her fluttering gossamer wings sparkle and her emerald dress almost ethereal. She tucked her hair behind her ears and turned to Joker.

“Are you ready?” He asked.

“With my new skills?” Titania chuckled. “We’ll be unstoppable! The Magician need only be on my shoulder as we cast Mediarahan together, so that our magic can combine in beautiful harmony.”

Mona nodded as Titania allowed him to climb over.

There was blue light at a snap of her fingers. Joker felt it. Like with Kohryu, Titania’s Concentrate flooded him with boundless energy, tingling across his limbs as if he were struck by lightning. If only they could try out Titania’s new Atomic Flare skill, but that could wait until later.

Determination set into their faces as they cast Mediarahan over the hospital.

~*~*~*~

Koharu Yuna shifted on the hard hospital bed for the hundredth time, huffing in frustration.

“Can’t sleep either?”

Yuna opened her eyes and looked to old man Yoshiro in the hospital bed across from hers. Their room was relatively small, and yet four other beds had been crammed into this one room. There was no space left. The subtle beeps and whirs of machinery formed a constant drone.

“Yeah.” She said, nodding down to her bandages. “I just can’t get comfortable with these things.”

“Hmm, I see.” He said with a sigh. “I can never sleep anyway because of my bad back, so it’s nice to have some company to talk to.”

Yuna chuckled.

Another moved in their bed, a teenager by the name of Rio.

“Well, it looks like another joins the world of the living.” Yuna said as she laid back on the pillows. “What’s keeping you up, kid? Are you hurting, too?”

“Not as much, just thinking.” He muttered softly.

“Oh? Well, our ears are open if you wanted to talk.” Yoshiro said.

“I heard that the heroes in the raid have already recovered and are out of the hospital.” Rio scowled. “I don’t think it’s fair that we’re stuck here and they’re out doing whatever they want.”

“I used to work in one of those, you know.” The old man sighed with a shake of his head. “Hero hospitals are generally better funded, so that they can afford more doctors and upped security. It’s not a surprise at this point.”

“Figures.” Yuna huffed.

“Yeah, it’s—”

Suddenly, they were silenced by an odd shift in the atmosphere. A strange floaty feeling overcame them, and a sense of peace wrapped around them like a warm blanket in a winter’s storm. 

Yuna shivered at the refreshing chill that sprouted at the top of her head, travelling like a cool river down her entire body. Then, there was a beautiful white light. It showered them in a curtain of marvelous colors, as if the light had been through a prism, and she cried out at the multiple ribbons of light that suddenly sprouted from their bodies. They playfully wove through the air before vanishing entirely.

“Wh-wh-what was that light!?” Yuna cried as she shot up. 

Her shout jolted the others awake, but their confused murmurs were lost on her.

“My… my leg!” Rio gaped at his bandages. “It doesn’t hurt anymore!”

She flexed one hand, and then rolled her shoulder, expecting lancing pain from her broken clavicle. Her eyes traced down to her left foot, where she wriggled her toes in the thick cast. There was _no more pain_. Slowly, she swung her legs over the bed.

Quiet murmurs exploded into excited shouts, with more chaotic noise trickling in from the hallway.

“What’s that!?” Another pointed out the window.

“Hey, are those—”

“Joker’s calling cards!?”

A girl threw off the covers and hobbled to the window, pulling on her IV bag. She opened the window and a few black and red cards fluttered in on a refreshing breeze. Yuna gasped as one floated through the air and landed by her foot, and she picked it up with a shaky hand.

Yuna glanced over to Yoshiro, who had sported an equal, teary grin as he read another card. 

~*~*~*~

Taneo groaned and threw his pillow over his head.

He ignored the first few _dings_ from his phone. It was probably just Yuma or Minato bugging him over their workload or something, or his boss pestering him because she had one too many drinks tonight. He huffed as his phone kept going. He sat up with a sharp sigh and swiped up the darned thing, freezing after he unlocked it.

****[???]** **

_Hey! Guess who? ;)_

_Sorry I’ve been out of the limelight for a while!_

_Just decided to lay low after the raid._

_What a crazy time, huh?_

_Well, I have something special for you. An exclusive picture of yours truly!_

_Think of it as an apology for not contacting you for so long._

Taneo grinned from ear to ear as he tapped on the picture.

It was Joker standing on a grassy hill with Musutafu General looming in the background, a black and white cat clung to his shoulder. The cat’s face was unusually expressive, as if it had actually grinned at the camera on purpose. But that wasn’t all. He recognized Titania from the interview. She delicately draped her arm on Joker’s other shoulder with a smirk, copying Joker’s peace sign.

Joker then sent a link to a social media website specially made for heroes. Shivers crept up his spine at the mere implication as he tapped the link. It loaded, and he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Taneo threw his head back and laughed until his stomach hurt and tears ran down his face.

~*~*~*~

Tsukauchi’s office was swamped with paperwork.

His desk was a complete mess, piles upon piles of files and folders were splayed out. Behind him hung several cork boards. Maps of the city, police reports, hero patrols were all marked in a sea of red. He bit his lip and downed his sixth cup of coffee. His stomach turned at the stale taste as he stared at the maps with bloodshot eyes.

“Kid, where are you?” He said as he set the cup down on his desk.

There was _nothing._ No sightings, no media attention, no… _anything._ Eraser and Midnight were working themselves to the bone patrolling. Hound Dog tried to track down Joker’s scent, but that trail had long went cold because of the constant rain. Nezu threw his all into searching through video files and street cameras, and that got them nowhere fast.

And then there was Eraserhead’s concern about his quirk.

If Joker had somehow been weakened or injured because of a bad reaction, then…

Tsukauchi swallowed.

Was Joker weak enough to be recaptured by All For One? Maybe he was able to drag himself to safety? Or…. or maybe some thugs were overjoyed to find an injured vigilante and took him hostage? He shook his head to get rid of the image of Joker being tied to a chair, beaten and bloody. He ran a hand down his face and sighed, jumping when his phone pinged.

It was a text message from some unknown number.

****{ERR0R}** **

_Hey! Did you miss me? ;)_

His keyboard glitched out when he tried to reply.

****{ERR0R}** **

_I bet you’re wondering who this is._

_Well, be prepared, Detective!_

Tsukauchi’s heart raced and the hairs on the back of his neck raised when a photo was sent.

Joker leaned against a nondescript brick wall and shot finger guns at the camera, and the cat on his shoulder had a devious grin that was all fangs. Judging from the staggering height difference, he must have had one of his creatures take the photo for him, but he tried not to picture something like the winged demon that had destroyed a police station taking a photo. He snapped out of it and immediately pressed dial.

He scrambled to find a clean piece of paper and pen as the trilling noise drilled in his ear.

_“Tsukauchi! Long time no see, huh?”_

Tsukauchi’s blood turned into ice. Joker’s voice sent a shot of adrenaline throughout his body, yet at the same time a mountain of relief vanquished the dread encumbering his heart.

“Joker?” He leaned on his desk to steady himself. “It’s really you?”

_“The one and only! What, were you expecting some other vigilante to call you? I hope you’re not cheating on me!”_

At that moment his door burst open and Officer Tamakawa ran in, his pupils were like saucers and his fur was a frazzled mess. Tsukauchi held up a hand and motioned for him to shut the door.

“Why did you contact me, Joker? I thought something bad happened to you after the raid!”

Tamakawa whipped towards him, gaping.

 _“Is that actual concern I’m hearing, detective?”_ Joker chuckled so coldly. Tsukauchi’s heart sank. _“Truly, I’m touched, but I just wanted_ _to tease you a bit! It’s the least I could do after what happened at the hospital.”_

“Hospital?” Tsukauchi furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about?”

_“Oh? You don’t know yet!? How surprising!”_

Tamakawa showed his phone to Tsukauchi. It was on a new article about Musutafu General Hospital. He paled at the familiar black and red image at the top of the page.

“Joker, what did you _do_?”

_“Well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself! Have fun with this one, Tsukauchi. This act won’t leave a dry eye in the house. Ciao!”_

“Wait!” Tamakawa flinched as Tsukauchi shouted, but he sighed in relief as Joker stayed on the line. “Can I ask you one question?”

_“Hmm, you just did, but I’ll allow one more. Make it count.”_

Tsukauchi’s mouth went dry.

He doubted he could hold Joker on the line long enough for them to be able to find the signal. _If_ they could find a signal. The kid was too smart for that. What should he do? Apologize? Ask him to turn himself in peacefully? A thousand and one other questions filtered through his mind, but his lips moved before he could think about it.

“I want you to know that I never wanted things to go that far. Are you safe?” He asked sincerely. “We didn’t…. you didn’t get _hurt_ , right?”

Joker inhaled sharply.

Tsukauchi counted his thundering heartbeats as the resulting silence stretched, Tamakawa was as still as stone beside him, his twitching ears listening for Joker’s reply. There was a shaky breath, and then—

_“You don’t get two questions, detective.”_

The line went dead. Tsukauchi tore it from his ear and pressed redial, but the number didn’t exist anymore. He tossed his phone on his desk, cursing under his breath as he hid his face in his hands.

“Are you alright?”

“Oh, just peachy.” Tsukauchi pulled his hands away with a sigh. “You heard him, right?”

“Yeah.” Tamakawa’s eyes softened. “His voice was trembling.”

“Which means that our hunch was right. Something really _did_ happen to him. Eraserhead already feels guilty about Joker’s mysterious absence, what am I supposed to tell him now?”

“The truth.” Tamakawa crossed his arms. “Look, it’s easy to see that you all care for Joker, even if he is a cocky brat. If Eraserhead feels guilty, then he could use that to push himself and find the kid, maybe even apologize. It’s at least worth a try, right?”

“...I guess.” Tsukauchi’s shoulders dropped in exhaustion. “What the hell is going on? What did he do this time?”

“See for yourself.” The officer handed him the phone, which was still open to the article. “The call only came in fifteen minutes ago, and the chief is already there. I’ll bring the car around and meet you out front.”

Tamakawa waved for him to follow, and they left Tsukauchi’s office.

Tsukauchi dodged the other officers as they ran through the police station like chickens with their heads cut off. Phones were ringing off the hook and frazzled secretaries scrambled to answer them all.

Tsukauchi only had eyes for the article. Hundreds of people were healed. _Hundreds._ Most of them were injured during the raid’s catastrophic aftermath. There were already pictures of calling cards and a few short videos flooding the web.

Tamakawa honked his horn outside, and Tsukauchi rushed into the passenger’s seat. The tires screeched as Tamakawa took off towards the hospital. Streets were mere blurs through the windows and the officer’s erratic driving made his stomach churn, but he didn’t complain. Tamakawa hissed and tapped the wheel impatiently as they came to a red light.

“So the kid heals all of these people, and now he suddenly has an account on Spotlight.”

Tsukauchi whipped his head towards the officer. “He has an account on _Spotlight_!? How? When?”

“Sometime within the last half hour and it’s already spread around like wildfire.” The light finally turned green, and Tamakawa sped past it. “I’ll never know how that kid got past the Hero Commission’s _rigorous_ security.”

Spotlight was the Commission’s official social media website. Heroes needed to have a valid licence to be verified and make posts. Civilians could make accounts too, but they could only follow other heroes and comment on their posts.

Tsukauchi pulled up the website and paled at the screen. Joker’s account was on the front page. It already had a few thousand follows, and the first post was a captioned photo reading _‘We’re alive! Mona and I are fulfilling our promise to help people! ;)’_

The top comment was from _Miruko_ of all people.

_‘YOU HAVE A CAT!?!’_

Hawks and Ingenium liked her comment. There were several hundred civilian replies, too.

Tsukauchi decided he’s had enough and tossed the phone on the dashboard.

The car was quiet until they reached their destination. There was a perimeter around the whole hospital, and they were let in after they had shown their badges. The officer parked in the nearest empty spot.

The hospital was as much a flurry of activity as the police station. A dozen police cars had surrounded it, painting it with flashes of red and blue. Officers and heroes in costume patrolled around, their bodies lined with tension. Others were scouring the grounds, gathering up the dozens of red and black cards.

“Why is he like this?” Tsukauchi pinched the bridge of his nose. “We were all so worried about him and then he decides to pull off _another_ crazy stunt. I’ll start getting grey hairs at this point.”

“Now you know what it’s like to have kids.”

“Wh-what are you talking about!?” Tsukauchi sputtered. “What does _that_ have to do with anything!?”

“Oh, come on.” He said as he opened his door. “Nezu is already fighting tooth and nail for custody after he gets arrested. Aizawa doesn’t say it outright, but we all know he loves kids. You can’t tell me that he doesn’t have a soft spot for Joker. Just admit it detective, you’d adopt him too if you had the chance.”

Tamakawa left the car and a shell shocked Tsukauchi behind.

The detective shook his head and decided to file that whole conversation away for later.

Now though, he had work to do. He blatantly ignored Tamakawa’s smugness as the hospital doors opened, revealing the whirlwind of activity.

Old and young patients alike were scattered around the halls, wandering through their rooms or laughing amidst small groups. Streaks of tears had shone on some of their faces, but they were _smiling._ A pair of laughing children ran past them, obvious that the heavy casts on their body were no longer needed. Each of them clutched calling cards.

Nurses, while they were trying to contain the chaos, were as bright and bubbly as their patients.

“Tamakawa, Tsukauchi.” They looked over to Midnight, who approached with a strained smile. “I’m glad you made it.”

“This is…” Tsukauchi scanned the lively hallway. “Do we even have words for something like this?”

“The patients are calling it a miracle, and I can’t find it in me to disagree.” She gestured for them to follow. “The outside cameras didn’t catch anything, but there are already videos spreading online of what happened inside. We don’t know who leaked them yet.”

“Where are Hound Dog and Eraserhead?” Tamakawa asked. “I heard they were here. Ryukyu too?”

“Scouting the area.” Midnight pursed her lips. “Hound Dog went to the outlook where Joker took the picture that’s on Spotlight. Ryukyu and Aizawa are circling the neighboring districts.”

Tsukauchi and Tamakawa exchanged glances as she led them into a security room. Nezu was at the desk, kicking his feet as he grinned at multiple screens. A calling card sat on the desk.

Chief Tsuragamae loomed over him, his expression grave.

“This is quite fascinating!” He chirped as he waved his paws. “Not only can Joker heal debilitating wounds, but the fact that he could heal so many people at once is nothing short of superb! I wonder what separates the different tiers of his healing abilities? He had to break in to heal Stain’s victims at a close proximity, but could heal this entire hospital of minor injuries from a distance—”

“Nezu,” Tsuragamae shook his head. “We can theorize later. Let the others see what happened.”

“Oh!” Nezu blinked, and then whirled around in his chair. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“That’s fine.” Tsukauchi leaned over Nezu’s chair. “Can you show us what happened?” 

Nezu rewound the footage.

The hospital was quiet, the nurses and doctors trudged from room to room like exhausted zombies. They paused in their routine, looking around as if they sensed something in the air. Suddenly, the camera was drowned out in a prismatic flash, but it caught the dancing ribbons of light before everything returned to normal. The staff jolted as their exhaustion melted away. Curious patients wandered out of their rooms within a handful of minutes, and the resulting chaos still lingered in the halls. 

“We received a general report of the patients here.” Tsuragamae said as he scrubbed his eyes. “The people who have been healed were all physically injured in some way. The ones who were ill, everything from a common cold, to pneumonia, to even cancer patients and those in the ICU with various illnesses, have not shown any improvement.”

“Really?” Tsukauchi made a quick note on his pad. “So Nezu might be onto something about the different degrees of healing powers?”

“That is correct!” Nezu grinned from ear to ear, his tail swishing excitedly. “The first round of healing was quality over quantity. This time it’s quantity over quality. A face to face encounter with Joker and a ‘floating woman’ healed the most debilitating wounds from Stain’s attacks, yet he didn’t need to step foot in this hospital to heal hundreds. Hmm, but Joker’s post also mentions Mona, and we know it has healing abilities as well. I wonder if they combined their powers for this?”

“Maybe. From the looks of it.” Tamakawa crossed his arms and squinted at the screen. “It’s not just physical injuries, but the hospital staff looks refreshed too. I wish we could have some of Joker’s mojo in our coffee.”

“If only.” Midnight covered her smirk with her hand.

Tsukauchi face palmed and the chief cleared his throat to hide his chuckle. Nezu gained a humorous spark in his beady eyes.

“What about the calling card?” Tsukauchi asked. “What does it say?”

“The patients are oddly protective of these cards. I honestly don’t blame them.” Nezu handed the card to Tsukauchi. “Here, see for yourself!”

“‘To all of the innocent civilians in Musutafu General, we aid you in your time of need. We shall heal those injured from an unjust raid as recompense against the ‘heroes’ who have hunted us. Our debt to you is repaid in full. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts’?” Tsukauchi looked up from the card. “A debt? He blames himself for injuring them?”

“It seems that way.” Nezu said with a sigh. “When in truth it was our fault to begin with.” 

The door opened before they could say anything else. Eraserhead and Hound Dog trudged in, and their sullen appearances spoke volumes of their success.

“No luck?” Midnight asked with a frown.

“No.” Eraser growled.

“And Ryukyu?” The chief asked.

“Still patrolling, she wanted to circle around one more time.” Aizawa shook his head. “I told her it would be useless, because Joker left nothing behind.”

“It’s more than _nothing_!” Hound Dog snarled. “The scent around the hill is strange!”

“Strange how?” Tsukauchi asked.

“I’m used to having scents all mixed together at crime scenes!” Hound Dog scratched at his thick mane. “But…. but _this_ , there’s just _nothing_.”

“Are you saying that Joker used chemicals to mask his scent?” Tsuragamae asked. “It’s not an uncommon tactic to use against quirks like ours.”

“No, if he used chemicals, then I would be able to smell it!” Hound Dog paced a small circle in the cramped room. “Usually there would be _something_ around a verdant hill like that! Dirt, grass, insects, and other small animals! It’s like… like the scents around that hill simply _don’t exist._ It’s unnatural!”

“Ah,” Nezu folded his paws together. “So he has a way to completely _erase_ scent altogether? Fascinating.”

“There weren’t any footprints either.” Eraserhead sank into his scarf and glared at the floor. “He didn’t leave a single trail to follow.”

“Joker has proven to be a master of stealth and deception!” Nezu chuckled as he gazed at the screen.

“It’s not something to be _happy_ about, Nezu.” Eraserhead growled.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Nezu replied. “But you have to admit that this is an exciting challenge!”

A collective groan swept through the room.

Tamakawa nudged Tsukauchi with his elbow. 

“There’s something else.” Tsukauchi tucked away the card and got out his phone. “Joker contacted me while I was still at the police station.”

Tense silence stifled the room as all eyes turned to him.

Nezu clambered onto Eraserhead’s shoulder as he leaned in for a closer look.

“Did he say anything else?” Nezu asked as his grin fell.

“I called him right after—”

“You called Joker!?” Midnight shouted.

“The conversation lasted less than a minute.” Tsukauchi handed his phone to the chief, who stared down at Joker’s picture with furrowed brows. “And the number was already nonexistent when he hung up.”

“What did he say?” Nezu lurched forward, his black eyes intensifying.

“He didn’t say that much, but he implied a lot.” Tsukauchi sighed. “Something _did_ happen to him after Eraserhead used his quirk on that dragon. It’s possible that the bad reaction from your quirk was the same backlash he felt, too.”

Eraserhead flinched as the color drained from his face.

“I was there and overheard the end of the conversation. He didn’t give a direct answer,” Tamakawa said softly. “But the way his tone drastically changed told us enough.”

“I had a splitting headache after the raid.” Eraserhead put a hand over his heart. “And it felt like my heart had been _ripped_ out. It was almost unbearable.”

“Hmmm, given his extended disappearance it’s quite possible that Joker suffered a much more severe backlash than you.” Nezu finally lost his smile. “He might have recovered from it just recently.”

Eraserhead’s hands formed into shaking fists. He hung his head as an icy cold dagger sunk into his heart that twisted into self loathing.

“Shouta, I know what you’re thinking.” Midnight’s eyes softened as she put a hand on his shoulder. “You couldn’t have known that your quirk would do this.”

“Maybe not.” He growled. “But how am I ever going to get the kid to trust me if I hurt him that badly?”

“Start with an apology.” Hound Dog peered into Eraserhead. “It’ll be up to him to forgive you, but we must start somewhere.”

Eraserhead said nothing and chose to glare at the floor.

Tsuragamae cleared his throat to draw attention. “So, Joker does have a major weakness, but it comes at a grave cost while one of his creatures are physically present.”

“But he was fine when he had the quirk suppressant cuffs in the interrogation room.” Midnight said.

“He only suffers such a harsh backlash when one of his creatures is in the real world?” Nezu asked. “Then he won’t be injured if they aren’t present!”

“I’ll be extra careful if I run into him on patrol.” Eraserhead muttered. “I won’t use my quirk on him unless I’m absolutely sure his creatures aren’t there. I don’t want to hurt him again.”

“Hmm, for now I believe we should keep this information to ourselves.” Tsuragamae handed the phone back to Tsukauchi. “We don’t want this information to get to any… _unsavory_ parties.”

“Agreed.” Nezu said as he hopped down from Eraserhead’s shoulder.

“This kid is more of a headache than anything else.” Eraserhead said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Even my class isn’t this bad.”

“Maybe.” Midnight smirked as she nudged him with her elbow. “But I know you care about him, right? He’s becoming one of your famous Problem Children!”

Aizawa buried his face in his capture weapon as the tips of his ears turned red.

“Whatever.” He growled.

Suddenly, there was another knock on the door and an officer stepped in.

“Sir.” She saluted Tsuragamae. “The media sharks are gathering outside. We can only hold them off for so long before they beat down the doors.”

Tsuragamae sighed. “Alright, I’ll be out in a moment.”

She nodded, and left them in peace.

“Well, I guess there is one silver lining in this mess.” Tamakawa crossed his arms and smirked.

“And what would that be?” Tsukauchi asked dryly.

“Thanks to Joker, we’re all becoming immune to spontaneous media storms!”

Several faces deadpanned at the officer, who’s smirk slowly faded.

Nezu, for once, was quiet as he padded back to the camera controls. Hound Dog grumbled to himself as he left the room. Eraserhead followed after him with a stormy expression. Midnight was the only one who cackled, patting the officer’s shoulder as she vacated the room.

“What?” Tamakawa whirled around to Tsukauchi and threw his paws up. “It’s true!”

“I’ll do a couple of interviews between the staff and patients.” Tsukauchi sighed as he ignored Tamakawa’s betrayed squawk. “Maybe they could add something that’ll make sense in this mess.”

“Wait, detective.”

Tsukauchi blinked at the chief. “What’s wrong?”

Tsuragamae peered into him with crossed arms. Tsukauchi suddenly felt like that kid in grade school who was sent to the principal’s office. Did he have something on his face? Did he do something wrong?

“You should go home, detective.”

Tsukauchi flinched. “ _What?_ ”

“Go home and get some rest. You look like you’re about to keel over any minute.”

“But chief—”

“Actually,” Tamakawa raised his paw. “I agree with him.”

“But—”

“No, no buts!” Tamakawa put his hands on his hips and gave Tsukauchi a stern look. “Everyone here has the hospital covered. And besides, when was the last time you actually got any sleep? Or shaved? Or even _showered_?”

Tsukauchi opened his mouth, but the feline officer shook his head.

“That doesn’t include quick naps at the office, and guzzling the station’s coffee _definitely_ doesn’t count!”

“I…I don’t even remember what my bed feels like.”

“Exactly my point.” Tamakawa said sadly.

“Let us take over for a while, Tsukauchi.” Nezu swiveled around in his chair. “You have had first official contact with Joker ever since we captured him at the USJ. We’ll need you to be sharp and alert in case we get that lucky again, and driving yourself to the brink won’t help any of us. That _includes_ Joker.”

“But, I…” Tsukauchi looked around the room, then deflated with a heavy sigh. “Fine. You win.”

“Good!” Tamakawa grinned. “I’ll drive you home!”

“Oh, and feel free to keep that calling card, Tsukauchi!” Nezu called before they left. “I’ll be sure to nab one for myself, I might even hang it in my office! Admiral Feesh would enjoy that.”

Tsuragamae shook his head and they followed him past the hustle and bustle of the hospital halls. A swarm of reporters had gathered outside, and their cacophony of voices grew louder as soon as Tsuragamae stepped outside. Tsuragamae squared his shoulders and approached, wary of the other officers having to push them back.

Tsukauchi and Tamakawa headed towards the car.

The chief was about to speak, but another voice interrupted.

“Hey, hey you!”

Tsukauchi turned towards Demizu Mika, who had jutted her microphone over the police tape.

“Yeah, you!” She wriggled against the officer holding her back. “You’re Detective Tsukauchi, right!? You’re the lead detective that’s after Joker, aren’t you!? Do you have a moment to answer our questions!?”

Tsukauchi held back a shiver as the vulture's eyes pinned him to the spot.

“No comment.” Tamakawa grabbed him by the arm and led him away. “Let’s just get out of here, yeah?”

Tsukauchi grimaced.

Tsuragamae was left with their outrage as they finally reached the car. He froze when he felt eyes digging into his back, boring through his head with burning intensity. Tamakawa didn’t seem to notice as he went into the car to start it, but Tsukauchi glanced back at the reporters.

There was a tall man hanging at the back of the group. Part of his black hair hung over one side of his face, and his mismatched pupils scrutinized Tsukauchi from head to toe. His deceptively easy smile put Tsukauchi on edge. The man simply smirked at him before blending into the rampant crowd.

“Hey, Tsukauchi!” Tamakawa rolled down the window and raised a brow at him. “You getting in or what?”

“Y-yeah.” Tsukauchi shook his head and got in.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine.” Tsukauchi scrubbed at his eyes. “Just tired.”

Tamakawa hummed and they left the hospital behind.

~*~*~*~

Natsuo was glad that the dorm lounge was empty, so that his classmates wouldn’t have to see him pace endless circles, muttering under his breath. A few of them came in to study earlier, but his stormy expression scared them off. He didn’t even notice.

He was about to throw his phone if that flaming ass hat sent _one_ more text, but at least he’d been quiet for a while. Fuyumi’s frantic calls went on for the last twenty minutes. He set it on silent. It wasn’t until Fuyumi formed a new chat room that he stopped burrowing into the carpet. Natsuo snorted as he read the chat room’s name.

****‘Roki Sibs** **

****

****[Fuyumi]** **

_NATSUO! ANSWER YOUR PHONE!_

_Joker is okay!!_

Natsuo froze. At first he thought his quirk was responcible for spreading ice through his veins or for the goosebumps popping up on his arms. He clicked on the article Fuyumi sent. Relief crashed into him. A grin slowly stretched from ear to ear as he sank into one of the lounge chairs to read it.

****[Natsuo]** **

_NO WAY!!_

_He really did this?_

****[Shoto]** **

_He did._

_He also has a Spotlight account now._

****[Fuyumi]** **

_I know!_

_Wait…_

_I tried following him and I just got an error._

_Did they take it down already?_

****[Shoto]** **

_Refresh the page, it’s back up._

****[Fuyumi]** **

_Oh, it is!_

Natsuo left the article and checked Spotlight.

There it was, right at the front page. Joker and a cat was the first post, and now that photo was also the vigilante’s profile picture. Natsuo snickered as he followed Joker, but like Fuyumi, he only got an error. His brows pinched as he refreshed the page, and he immediately followed Joker and set him as his personal #1 hero.

****[Natsuo]** **

_How many times have they tried to take it down?_

****[Shoto]** **

_More than we can count._

_They’ve been trying since it went live, but something keeps putting it back up._

_He probably hacked the site._

****[Natsuo]** **

_Nicee!_

_I can’t believe he has a cat!_

_How’s dip shit taking this whole thing?_

_Is the house burned down yet?_

****[Fuyumi]** **

_It’s been…. quiet?_

_He’s been shut in his office ever since you stormed out._

****[Shoto]** **

_I heard him on the phone with somebody._

_But yeah, he’s stayed in his office._

_I thought Joker’s reappearance would make him angry._

****[Natsuo]** **

_Well, let’s not poke the sleeping dragon and all that._

****[Fuyumi]** **

_Yeah…_

****[Shoto]** **

_Also_

**_**Shoto has changed his name to Peppermint** _ **

**__ **

****[Natsuo]** **

_Uh, Shoto?_

_Why peppermint?_

****[Peppermint]** **

_It was Joker’s nickname for me when he rescued us from Stain._

Natsuo stared at his phone. The chat room was silent for several minutes, and he could almost _feel_ Fuyumi’s brain buffering alongside his. He snapped out of it and furiously typed.

****[Natsuo]** **

_HE WHAT_

_There’s no way you can’t share the story with us, little bro!!!_

****[Peppermint]** **

_Well, I’m ‘technically’ not supposed to tell anyone._

****[Fuyumi]** **

_We’re experts at keeping secrets, Shoto._

****[Natsuo]** **

_True that._

****[Peppermint]** **

_…_

_Alright._

_Here’s what really happened to Stain…_

Natsuo felt a new rush of appreciation for Joker. Not only had he taken down a serial killer, but he’d never be able to repay the vigilante back for saving his little brother’s life.

The siblings talked about their hero until the sun came up.

~*~*~*~

“There’s no way that’s _not_ Akira and Morgana.”

“I’ve had my suspicions ever since Emiyo-san brought Akira to the cafe during the raid. Now this only solidifies it. Don’t you feel the same, Ayumu?”

“Yeah. Do you think Hitoshi knows?”

“Hmm, possibly. He was awfully protective of Akira while he slept.”

“So… what do we do?”

“What else?” Risumi leaned into her husband’s side. “We’ll continue supporting him. It’s only because of that boy that we can continue as we are now. After all, he saved us from that monster.”

Risumi’s hand went to her side, where a jagged scar traced around her ribs and down across her stomach. Silver Falcon made sure to leave _lasting_ damage when they didn’t pay his ‘protection’ fees on time. Hitoshi was only eleven at the time, and he hid underneath the counter and heard _everything_. She was glad that Silver Falcon only harmed her, and not her husband or son.

Ayumu’s face softened as he gently took Risumi’s hand to kiss it.

Risumi chuckled as that warm smile spread on her lips.

“And besides…” She said as her eyes gained an amused glint. “I think you owe that boy a proper apology.”

“I….” Ayumu stammered. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Good.” She slipped from his grasp and winked at him. “That’s all I ask.”

Ayumu watched Risumi slink down the hallway. His eyes flicked back to his phone on the counter, and he tapped the screen to see Spotlight’s front page. Akira grinned at him as Joker, ‘Mona’ clung to his shoulder while Musutafu General was in the background. It was so easy to put two and two together once the hospital videos and articles started pouring out, and many patients were spilling their appreciation to him online.

Ayumu sighed as he followed Joker.

~*~*~*~

“Oooh, he’s so cool! I knew he was okay! Ha, take that, heroes!” Spinner trudged down a dark alleyway, beaming at his phone. “I wonder how he’d react to my costume? But… there are so many comments on his post that a picture would be buried… and now he has a feline companion too?”

Spinner sighed as he pocketed his phone. The first rays of the sun were lighting up the sky, and so far the twilight hours in Tokyo have been quiet. He had been too excited to sleep, so he took to wandering through the city. If he was lucky, he would run into crime and be able to save people like his hero!

Ah, but that had yet to happen. He dusted off his long dark coat and adjusted his Joker mask.

“I wish I had a feline companion…”

“Mreeow.”

“Eeek!!”

He startled away from the trash bins and pressed his back to the wall. There, sitting on one of the garbage cans, was a cat. Or…. at least he _thought_ it was a cat. It was a ragged creature of matted white fur splotched with black and brown. It’s tail was just a tiny stub, and chunks of both ears were missing. The creature had a smooshed in face, and slowly blinked it’s massive eyes.

“Oh. My. God.” Spinner pulled himself from the wall. “You’re perfect!!”

“Mreow?”

Spinner lunged forward and picked up the poor creature, who had thrashed and yowled like a banshee. He simply threw his head back and laughed.

“Scratch me all you want! My scales overpower your tiny little claws!”

The creature went limp in his grasp, a low rumble gurgled from its throat as it stared at him, unimpressed.

“What do you say!? You want to be my partner in crime!?”

It sunk further in his hands, as if accepting its unwilling fate.

“Yess! Now, I just need a name for you!” Spinner lifted the cat higher, taking note of its tail. “How about… Stubbs?”

“Mmeerp.”

“Alright! Sir Stubbs it is!”

“ _Hisss!_ ”

“Er… Lady Stubbs?”

“Merp.”

“Sweet!” He tucked the ball of ragged fur under his arm, grinning. “Spinner and Lady Stubbs, master vigilantes patrolling the back alleys of Tokyo! Of course, we do this in service of Joker, a true hero to society!!”

Suddenly, a scream echoed throughout the alley.

“Perfect! Let’s go, Lady Stubbs!” Spinner bolted down the alley. “Crime waits for no man! Er… Lizard and cat!!”

“Mreeow!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh, we passed 200K words! I can hardly believe it!!
> 
> Also, you all better prepare yourselves for next chapter :D It'll be up on February 20th!


	40. Suspicious Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira nodded and got to work, preparing the coffee as Risumi scooped the curry. She gave him a high five before he went out to the floor. It should have been like any other order. Everything should have been fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)
> 
> Edit 2/23/2021 - Forgot to change a little dialogue with Risumi and Akiren in regards to Akane. It was supposed to be changed before it was uploaded but I completely forgot xD

Fanart!

[Some_Gurl](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24632884/chapters/71992233#workskin) here on AO3!

[sirblack4](https://www.deviantart.com/sirblack4/art/Let-s-get-this-show-on-the-road-870284785) on deviantart!

~*~*~*~

The Trickster’s mindscape was quiet, but not still.

For Arsene, the stilted silence was like that of humans watching over loved ones on their death beds. It was a weight dangling from their hearts, causing them to stir restlessly like Byakko, who had circled Kohryu more times than he could count. 

Alice and Black Frost huddled together by the dragon’s snout, counting his slow, measured breaths.

Aside from occasional glares at each other, Ishtar and Titania floated on either side of his head, gently petting his smooth scales.

Seth feigned sleep as he curled up with his head tucked under his wing, but his tail endlessly twitched.

Cerberus pressed his nose to Kohryu’s, the size difference dwarfing the Guard Dog of Hell. He whined at Kohryu’s stillness, ears and tail drooping.

Arsene himself fluttered his wings and placed his hands on Kohryu’s body, bowing his head in respect.

“Be at peace, Arsene.”

Arsene glanced to his side.

Shiva had strung his divine instruments on his belt, all of his six hands were were placed in a prayer position, with one pair held up to his forehead. The trio of cobras wrapped around his body were docile, lowering their heads as if they were mourning, too. Shiva opened his eyes and looked over to Arsene, who was contemplating.

“Despite everything, Kohryu _is_ regaining his strength,” Shiva nodded to Arsene’s wing. “As are you and the Trickster.”

Arsene shuffled his wing. His glossy black feathers had all grown back, but underneath was patchy scar tissue.

“I know.” Arsene tipped his hat. “Kohryu will awaken soon. Of that, I have no doubt. It is the Trickster that I am more concerned about…. as well as some of the others here.”

“You think the Trickster isn’t ready to resume his duties at the cafe?” Shiva asked.

“It’s not that. I _know_ the Trickster is more than capable of returning to his daytime work.” Arsene crossed his arms. “I’m more worried about the other humans. We’ve seen the evils that they are capable of in our world, but to imagine a Palace Ruler with some of the insane powers we’ve seen here?” Arsene shook his head. “I can’t shake this trepidation, wondering if there’s some maniacal beast lurking under the surface, just waiting for us to slip up.”

Shiva pondered his words with a tilt of his head.

“While that is true, we’ve also experienced the opposite.” He said with a nod. “Humans who have aided our Trickster in his hour of need. Are you sure you’re not just worried because of your role as the Trickster’s Avian Father?”

Arsene jolted, his uneasiness shattered by Shiva’s words.

“Not you too.” Arsene’s wings sagged as he face-palmed.

“I only jest.” Shiva chuckled. “But aside from our Trickster, who else are you worried about? Though we are restless, nothing can stop us as long as we are together.”

Arsene swallowed back his grumbles as he looked to the darkest reaches of Ren’s psyche. Shiva followed his gaze. 

“Ah, I see.” Shiva’s furrowed his brows. “Your lingering concern lies with the Master Of Strings?”

That persona persisted in staying as far away from everyone as possible. As if he felt their stare, Orpheus looked over his shoulder. He scoffed as he turned his back and crossed his arms.

“You see what I mean?” Arsene said with a sigh. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

“Hmmm.” Shiva turned back to Arsene. “I believe he is just mourning.”

“Mourning?”

“Yes. How to put this…” Shiva gazed into the endless black abyss above them. “The longer we stay in this world, the more we come into ourselves. Memories are trickling back. I’m starting to remember other Wild Cards from the past. The memories are still fuzzy yet, but I am slowly regaining clarity.”

“So… he’s like me?”

Shiva nodded. “The true other self of another Wild Card.”

“How is that possible? Why is he _here_?”

“We know how vast and strange the Velvet Room’s powers are.” Shiva shrugged. “So it is not impossible. I do not remember the exact fate of his Wild Card, but it must have not been a happy ending.”

“I see.” Arsene shook his head. “Let’s give him all the time he needs.”

~*~*~*~

Orpheus ignored them. Everything was becoming _too_ much,reminding him of when _he_ was first bonded to his Wild Card, and how the other personas interacted with each other. He missed them.

Perhaps…

Perhaps he would never be able to see _his_ Wild Card again, but that didn’t mean he should just sulk during this one’s predicaments. Maybe he should join them? Make sure that this Wild Card’s fate didn’t end in tragedy as well?

The Master Of Strings looked to Arsene, who stared back with a tilt of his head. Arsene extended his hand towards him, the message clear despite the distance, Shiva watched and waited beside him. Orpheus suppressed a shiver as he turned his back on them once again.

….Maybe he wasn’t ready to join them _quite_ yet.

~*~*~*~

Tsukauchi groaned as he felt around for his phone, peeling his face from the pillow to blearily look at the screen.

****[Eraser]** **

_I heard from the rat that they’re forcing you to take time off._

_Want to meet at that cafe later?_

_It’s close enough to U.A. to spend my lunch break there._

****[Detective]** **

_Sure, I’ll meet you there at noon?_

****[Eraser]** **

_Got it._

Tsukauchi yawned and rubbed his eyes, before collapsing face first into his pillow. It took moments for him to start snoring.

He forgot how good it felt to sleep in his own bed.

~*~*~*~

_“You were a nurse at Musutafu General, right? What do you think of Joker healing your patients?”_

_“I’m grateful. There were just… too many. We were all so exhausted, some of us pulling eighteen or more hour shifts everyday. It wouldn’t be much longer before somebody collapsed or made a serious medical error.”_ The dark haired woman bowed deeply to the camera. _“ I’ll thank Joker from the bottom of my heart! He not only saved our patients, but he rescued us too!”_

Tensei turned to the next news channel.

 _“—nd another patient from Musutafu General commented on Joker’s Spotlight account, one of many that have been flooding his first post.”_ The screen changed to a grinning Joker and his cat. _“It reads, ‘I’ll follow Joker’s progress for the rest of my days. Even if I had access to the best healing quirks, they’d do nothing against my poor back, and the injuries I sustained from the raid would have put me out of work. Somehow, both old and new wounds have been cured. I’ll be forever thankful for that young hero.’ Another one claims—”_

Tensei smiled as he flipped to the next.

 _“Oh my gosh, this one is adorable!”_ The talk show hostess glanced at her partner. _“What do you think?”_

 _“Hmm…”_ The man leaned forward as the picture of a black and white cat was thrown on screen. _“That one can’t be Mona either. Mona doesn’t have any white spots on his forehead, at least that’s what we can see from Joker’s Spotlight photo.”_

_“Aww, you’re right! Before we go on to the next ones, be sure to send in your photos of cats around Musutafu! Who knows, you might just take a picture of the famous Mona!!”_

Tensei muted the TV as he heard footsteps behind him.

“Morning, Tenya!” Tensei stood up, but frowned at his brother’s sullen appearance. “What’s wrong? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

Tenya’s brows pinched together as he stared down at his phone.

“Joker did it again.”

“Yep! Everyone’s talking about it. I’m honestly glad that he turned up okay. My sidekicks and I were getting pretty worried.” Tensei blinked as his brother glowered at his phone. “Why the long face?”

“I don’t know how to feel about him!” Tenya tightened his grip, and his phone creaked ominously. “He’s on the wrong side of the law! B-but ever since he healed you, I don’t know what to believe anymore. A vigilante who’s somehow selfless, helping so many people that not even the heroes could save! Which side am I supposed to be on!?”

“Oh, Tenya.” Tensei poked his brother in the forehead. “You gotta lighten up a bit!”

Tenya blinked rapidly. “What?”

“The world shouldn’t be just black and white, little brother.” Tensei sighed and put his hands on his hips. “There are many shades of gray, Tenya. Maybe Joker teeters back and forth a bit, but I think he’s genuinely trying to make the world better. Vigilantes have helped me out a lot in the past, and I know that Joker helped you in the same way as they helped me. Manual didn’t hide things from me.”

“You…” Tenya stared at him with wide eyes. “Really?”

“Really. You don’t have to understand it right now, but you might one day.” Tensei glanced back at the TV, where they were showing more photos of cats. “Besides, if Joker wasn’t around, then I would never be able to…”

Tensei cut himself off, but Tenya winced.

“Boys, breakfast is ready!” Their mother called from the kitchen.

“Come on.” Tensei gingerly nudged his brother. “You need to eat before school.”

“Yes, I’ll be there in a second!”

Tensei chuckled before he trailed towards the kitchen.

Tenya looked down at his phone, which was open to Joker’s Spotlight account. There was just something _so familiar_ about Joker now, but he just couldn’t place it. Whenever he thought he was close to figuring something out, his thoughts turned… slippery, as if a word was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn’t speak.

“Tenya! Hurry up or I’ll eat all of the tempura!”

“C-coming!!”

Tenya threw his phone in his pocket and raced to the kitchen.

He’d find out more about Joker _after_ final exams. For now, he should just focus on his studies and wait for the hype around Joker to die down.

~*~*~*~

_“I will be but a wing beat away should you need me, Trickster.”_

Akira glanced up at Yatagarasu. _“I’ll be fine. You guys don’t need to worry so much.”_

 _“It is our sole duty to worry about you, Trickster.”_ Yatagarasu said as he veered off towards U.A. _“Any one of us would do anything to protect you, just ask Bird Dad.”_

Arsene grumbled in his psyche as Yatagarasu’s smugness flowed from their bond.

Akira bit the inside of his cheek. People would stare if he seemingly burst out laughing over nothing. The streets had been lively, bathed in the early morning light. Despite the recent disaster, people were smiling and laughing, ambling along their daily routines as they picked up broken bits of the city.

“Hey, Kurusu-kun!”

Akira snapped out of his reverie, blinking at the usual crowd waiting outside the Blue Lotus Cafe. A familiar voice had called out to him, and approached with a gentle smile.

“Emiyo-san.” Akira nodded to her. “Is everything okay?”

“What? I’m fine.” She leaned in and whispered. “I wanted to ask how you were. Risumi and Ayumu didn’t tell me much after we dropped you off after… you-know-what.”

“Oh.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. But you know that me and the other regulars will stick up for you, right?” She cracked her knuckles as her smile turned wicked. “If somebody hurt you in that alley…”

“Nobody hurt me.” He shook his head. “It was just… an accident. That’s all.”

“Hmmm. An ‘accident’, huh?” She studied for several seconds, eyes glistened over with some unknown emotion, but she relented. “Okay, if you say so. Just remember what I said, alright?”

Akira nodded before he beelined for the door, waving at Haru-san before going inside. Akira took a deep breath as the bell jingled overhead, relaxing at the familiar sights and scents of the cafe. A knot in his heart unraveled and he could breathe easy.

Neither Risumi nor Ayumu were in the front, but Hitoshi sat in one of the booths, idly scrolling through his phone.

“Hey.” He looked up as Akira approached. “I take it you’re feeling better, if the latest internet craze is anything to go by.”

“Yup. I take it you enjoyed the show?” Akira smirked.

“Heh, you should have seen how crazy my Herocord server got. I think they lost their minds over Mona.” Hitoshi blinked down at his phone. “That Spotlight account is all anybody is talking about on the forums, aside from those patients. How do you keep pulling off awesome shit like this?”

“I’ve had a lot of practice.” Akira winked at him. “You want your usual coffee before school?”

“Do you really need to ask?”

Akira chuckled as he went behind the counter. His hands naturally flowed into the movements as he ground the roasted beans and poured the goose neck kettle over the filter. Hitoshi usually liked it sweeter, so he added some sugar and cream. He smiled when he rounded the counter, steaming cup of coffee in hand.

“Here you go, the first cup of the day.”

“Sweeet.” Hitoshi took a sip, cursing under his breath as he burned his tongue.

“Don’t drink it so fast.”

“Eh, it’s totally worth it.” Hitoshi set the cup down and looked up at Akira.

“By the way,” Akira looked around the cafe. “Where are your parents?”

“Finishing up in the kitchen.” Hitoshi nodded towards the kitchen door. “Mom was excited about trying that new curry recipe you sent her. Something about adding yogurt to it this time?”

“Oh.” Akira smirked as he adjusted his glasses. “Nice.”

“So, I’ve been doing some thinking ever since I dropped you off.”

“Really?” Akira shoved his hands in his pockets and blinked. “What about?”

Hitoshi eyed the kitchen door, then clasped his hands together on the table.

“W-well….” Hitoshi fidgeted as he looked down into his coffee. “I still want to help you, but I’d understand if you or Arsene are still mad at me for what happened in the alley. Is there anything I can do to fix that?”

_“Hmph. If he really wants to prove himself, then let him be our ticket in.”_

Akira furrowed his brow at Arsene’s words. Be their ticket in? Then, it struck. He glanced over Hitoshi’s uniform, and then to the bag sitting at the end of the booth. That size was _perfect_.

“You go to U.A.”

“Wow.” Hitoshi said dryly. “What gave it away?”

Akira shook his head. “I’ll have to discuss it with Morgana, but there might be something that you could do for us.”

“Wait,” Hitoshi perked up, his eyes going wide. “ _Really_?”

“Really. I’ll tell you more if Morgana agrees with it.”

“Okay.” Hitoshi blinked a few more times. “Cool.”

“Kurusu?” Risumi walked out, holding a hefty pot of curry. “Oh, I thought that was you. We’re almost ready to open.”

Akira nodded as he left Hitoshi to his thoughts. “Is that the new curry I smell?”

“Yep!” Risumi beamed as she arranged it in the glass display. “I followed your recipe to the letter. I think it’s the best one yet!”

Akira grinned. “That was one of Boss’s favorites. I’m sure people will love it.”

“Coming through.” Ayumu emerged from the kitchen, arms loaded with trays of baked goods. He froze when he saw Akira. “Oh, you’re here.”

“Yeah?”

They stared at one another. Nobody moved. Risumi exchanged a knowing glance with her husband, and they both pinned him with odd looks. They way they studied him raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

“Is something wrong?” Akira blinked as he shuffled on his feet. “Do I have something on my face?”

Ayumu’s face twisted as if he just sucked on a lemon. “You—”

“Nope!” Risumi nudged her husband, whose jaw shut with a literal _snap_. “Why don’t you go flip the sign? I’m sure people are eager to get a taste of our food after all the chaos.” 

His eyes flicked in between them. “...Alright.”

He stepped around the counter and made for the door. Hitoshi had watched the exchange with the enthusiasm of a bored feline, nursing his coffee.

_“That was odd.”_

_“They have seen the Trickster in a new light, Arsene, what with caring for his injuries.”_ Shiva whispered. _“It is not surprising that they would act strange for a while.”_

_“Hmm, perhaps.”_

_“I get the sensation that they feel protective over him.”_ Ishtar said.

Alice giggled. _“Ooh, maybe they’ll be the next aunt and uncle!?”_

_“Well, the Trickster is certainly one to forge familial bonds.”_ Byakko shook his furry head. _“Be it blood related or not.”_

 _“But I am still the best aunt, right?”_ Titania smirked at Alice, despite Ishtar’s glare. _“No human could ever replace me!”_

_“Eh, maybe?”_

_“What do you mean by ‘maybe’!?”_

Akira tuned them out as he flipped the sign. The cafe was a buzz of activity as people poured in and lined up in front of the counter, and Risumi took on the crowd with fierce energy. Akira was about to join her, but paused when Haru-san hobbled in with a cane.

“Haru-san?” Akira approached and gently put a hand to her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Oh,” She beamed at him with a hearty chuckle. “I’m fine, kiddo. These bones aren’t as young as they used to be, and they’re very sensitive to the weather.”

“So, the sudden typhoon…?”

“Yep.” Haru-san nodded. “They still hurt from that storm, but I wouldn’t miss my daily cup of tea for anything. I’ve dearly missed this place!”

“Why don’t you go sit down and I’ll bring it over to you?”

“Thank you.” She patted his arm as her eyes sparkled. “You’re such a sweet boy.”

He huffed in amusement as they parted ways, and he darted behind the counter to prepare her drink. Risumi gave him a subtle nod of approval as she battled the influx of people, curry, coffee, and delicious pastries flying from the shelves.

Akira preferred coffee over tea, but watching Tobita over the past few days gave him a better idea on how to make a proper cup. He carefully monitored the water temperature as he steeped the leaves.

 _“Why don’t you try pouring it like he did?”_ Arsene hinted with amusement. _“It would be a marvelous crowd-pleaser!”_

 _“Agreed. We’ve seen Tobita do it enough times.”_ Akira smirked. _“Here I go!”_

He held the cup out with a flamboyant flourish, and people’s gazes drifted over to him as he raised the kettle sky high with his other arm. Risumi smirked as the golden liquid hit the cup, splashing in a great wave, but not a drop had escaped. The crowd gasped as he finished pouring, a few clapping and leaving tips in the jar on the counter.

He smiled as he set the kettle aside. He scooped up Haru-san’s drink and she thanked him with a wink. Akira joined Risumi at the counter, and they fell into a practiced rhythm, dancing around each other as they worked in tandem to battle the flow of people. Ayumu occasionally restocked the freshly baked treats.

They breathed a sigh of relief once the line dwindled, and the cafe was filled with idle chatter and the clatter of dishes. Delicate sugar and spices were a constant scent in this cafe, now.

“Good job, Kurusu!” Risumi held up her hand. “Especially with Haru-san’s tea! You’re full of surprises.”

Akira matched her grin, and gave her a high five.

 _“Oh, this woman is already terrifying when she wants to be.”_ Arsene said. _“Imagine her power after a Baton Pass.”_

Akira turned away and covered his mouth with his hand, his shoulders shaking.

“Kurusu?” Risumi suddenly looked alarmed. “Are you alright? Are you still not feeling well?”

“I’m fine.” He pulled on a mask of composure, and shook his head. “I just remembered a joke I heard, that’s all.”

“If you say so…” Risumi put her hands on her hips and playfully glared at him. “But just tell me if you need a break, the back office is always open for that. Your health comes first! Is that clear, young man?”

Akira gave her a two finger salute. “Crystal.”

“Good.” Risumi snorted and shook her head. “As long as you understand.”

They turned when the bell jingled and the next customer trudged to the counter.

“Akane….?” Risumi blinked as she took in the man’s rugged appeared. “Are you alright? You look….”

“Tired?” A hint of a smile appeared on his face. “I’m alright. Can I have my usual?”

“A cappuccino with a dash of cinnamon?” Akira said.

“Hey, you remembered!” Akane grinned, despite the exhaustion. “Would it be too much trouble to ask for an extra shot or two of espresso?”

“Not at all.” Risumi nodded at Akira, and he got to work. “But why do you look so tired? Is there something wrong?”

“Work.” Akane pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’re still understaffed from Commissioner Inu’s arrest, and they’ve been having us pull double shifts because of Joker’s latest stunt. A few unlucky people had to pull triple.”

“You’re a police officer?” Akira asked over the rock sinking into his stomach.

“Yep, third generation.” Akane nodded. “My quirk allows me to detect explosives, so it comes in handy in this line of work. I was present when we tried to arrest Joker during that live interview. I still have glitter stuck on my uniform!”

“Oh.”

“I just wish they didn’t push you so hard.” Risumi said, frowning.

“It’s fine. Actually….” Akane checked over his shoulder, nodding when nobody else was behind him. He leaned in and whispered. “Everyone has been in an uproar because of what Joker did for that hospital. They’re having us scour the city for him, but…”

“But…?” Risumi whispered.

“I honestly hope we don’t find him.” Akane sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Joker does good work, despite what the HC thinks about him.”

“I see.” Risumi glanced at Akira for a split second, then gestured to the glass display. “Why don’t you take some extra treats to the station? Ayumu just brought out freshly baked cinnamon rolls! It’ll be on us.”

“Really? Thanks! I’m sure everyone would appreciate it.”

Akira finished the drink to go, with three extra shots of espresso, and they watched as the man left with a box of baked goods tucked under his arm.

 _“We’ll have to be wary of that one.”_ Arsene growled. _“Especially if he’s an officer of the law.”_

 _“Perhaps we could gain his trust?”_ Vasuki hissed. _“Thine might never know when such a connection will come into play.”_

 _“Or…”_ Seth snapped his jaws together. _“I could devour him!”_

 _“Seth!”_ Titania shouted, aghast. _“You don’t know where that man’s been! What if you catch some disease?”_

_“Well, unlike some of us, I can cure any ailment that might befall him.”_

_“You want to say that to my face, harlot!?”_

_“I just did, your majesty.”_ Ishtar’s tone oozed with sarcasm. _“I’m just stating the facts, that’s all.”_

 _“Enough, you two!”_ Arsene sighed. _“How is the Trickster supposed to concentrate with all of this noise?”_

Akira refrained from rolling his eyes as their argument faded to the back of his mind. He felt eyes on him, and he glanced over to Risumi. She was studying him with a furrowed brow, an unknowable gleam came into her eyes.

“What?”

“Are you going to be okay with Akane coming here?" She asked gently as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I haven't forgotten what you said that day."

"It'll be fine." Akira swallowed thickly. "Akane's not like... _them_."

"Alright." She nodded as her hand fell. "Just remember that you're safe here, dear. I have your back, no matter what happens."

Akira didn’t reply, but he felt as if he was missing something. The thought was tossed aside as the bell rang again, and they stared at yet another familiar face.

Uraraka sheepishly smiled when she saw him, her hands wringing the straps of her bag as she hovered near the entrance.

“Oh, it’s her.” Risumi winked at him. “Go ahead, just like we talked about.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s no trouble. Besides, our little cafe owes you a lot for introducing your curry, so doing you a favor is no big deal.”

Akira scratched the back of his neck. “Thanks.”

Uraraka settled into an open booth as he prepared the dishes. She stared at him, wide eyed, as he rounded the counter and placed a steaming plate of curry and a cup of cinnamon hot chocolate in front of her.

“Huh? Wh-what’s this?”

“Breakfast, if you want it.”

“Breakfast? But I didn’t order it!” She placed her hands in her lap and ducked her head. “A-and I don’t have any money to pay for it, either…”

“The bill’s already covered.”

Her head snapped up, her hazel eyes wide beyond belief. She bit her lip as she studied him.

“Kurusu-kun, what’s this about?” She shook her head. “I came because I was curious about your text to meet here before school, but now I’m just confused.”

“Alright.” Akira sank into the opposite booth. “I’ll explain. You can tell me to shove off if you think I’m overstepping, though.”

The earned him a small chuckle. “Okay?”

He leaned forward to look her in the eye. “You don’t really get to eat that often, do you?”

“Wh-what?” Uraraka jolted, face paling. “Wh-what would g-give you that idea?”

“When we ate dinner at Midoriya’s.” Akira swallowed thickly, his heart lurching. “I used to have a friend that was the literal definition of a starving artist. He’d forgo proper meals for days at a time, and he threw any scrap of cash at getting new art supplies, instead of food. You reminded me of him when you hesitated to take seconds. It was exactly like him, and he kept quiet about it because he didn’t want us to worry.”

“Oh.” Uraraka’s eyes softened, and she tugged at the end of her sleeve. “And… where is he now?”

“I…” Akira shook his head. “He’s gone, too.”

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s alright.” Akira tried to smile, but the sadness in it made her heart hurt. “That’s why I wanted to do this for you. If you ever needed breakfast before school, or if you have to skip on any meal, then please come here and I’ll serve what’s in front of you. No questions asked. The bill will be covered, so you don’t have to worry about money.”

She opened and closed her mouth several times.“Just… why?”

“Why?” He blinked, then shook his head with a chuckle. “Because I miss him. If only I could’ve helped him out more like I can help you now, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so guilty about him not being here.”

“You…” Her eyes filmed over with tears. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a striped handkerchief. “I’m sorry my reason for helping you is pretty selfish.”

She slammed her hands on the table and shot up, the dishes clattering. “It’s not selfish!!”

The cafe went silent as all eyes turned towards her. Uraraka’s face turned beet red as she slowly sank into the booth, and quiet chatter resumed after a few moments. She wiped her eyes with the handkerchief and chuckled.

“You’re so weird, Kurusu-kun.”

“Huh? Why am I weird?”

“You’ve been through so much, and yet you’re so kind to people. It’s unbelievable.” She shook her head and smiled. “We haven’t known each other long, but this is honestly the nicest thing that anybody has done for me. Thank you.”

“So… are you accepting my offer?”

She scooped up a spoonful of curry and shoved it in her mouth. “Mhm!”

Akira smirked. “You have curry sauce all over your lips.”

She flinched and wiped her mouth.

“I should get back to work. You can keep that handkerchief if you want.” Akira stood, his smirk growing. “Just do me a favor and don’t tell Ashido about it? I only have so many of them, you know. I have a feeling she’d take them all.”

“Deal!”

He laughed as he left her in peace.

Risumi had a huge smile as he rejoined her at the counter.

“I think it went well.”

They stared at Uraraka, who was positively beaming as she inhaled the curry and sipped on her drink.

“Yeah.” He adjusted his glasses. “I’m glad it did.”

“Well, it seems like the morning rush is dying down.” She said as she watched a cafe brimming with life. “But we still have the rest of the day yet. Can I count on you?”

“You can leave it to me!”

He had missed working here after all of that chaos. After everything, this place felt _safe_. He could be himself, and indulge in one of his trades without fear of persecution.

If only this safety net didn’t snap within a handful of hours.

~*~*~*~

“Did you hear on the news?”

“Yeah, man! It’s been _everywhere!_ Just when we think Joker can’t get much cooler, he does something like this!”

“I want a cat like Mona…”

“My aunt was hospitalized during the raid, so Joker healed her too! She says that she’ll even bring the calling card by our house after she gets discharged!”

“Lucky! I want a calling card from him!”

“Right? Who even needs doctors when Joker can just heal an entire hospital?”

Bakugo grit his teeth together as the incessant train chatter drilled in his ears.

“I just hope he knows what he’s doing.” An elderly woman said.

“Huh? What do you mean?” The middle aged man beside her asked.

A few ears tuned in to eavesdrop, and Bakugo was no different.

“Just think about it.” She said with a sigh. “I appreciate what Joker did for those people, and he has marvelous powers that even the heroes can’t comprehend. But when this settles down I think people will demand that he heal them or other sick family members.”

“Okay, but what’s your point?”

“People might resent him if he doesn’t heal their loved ones. I hope they realize that he is only one person, and that they don’t hate him for having a limit.”

“That bastard deserves more hate.” Bakugo muttered under his breath.

A girl with pointed ears suddenly glared at him. “What was that, brat?”

He glared back. She wore an unfamiliar school uniform, but it was decked out with bright red Joker pins, and the bag she tightly clutched had Joker stickers and key chains dangling from it.

“None of your damn business!” He snarled.

“Wait a minute. Oh, I recognize _you_.” The girl smirked and crossed her arms. “You’re that one villainous kid from the Sports Festival. Are you jealous that Joker is a better hero than you’ll ever be? Is that why you said he _deserves_ more hate?”

Bakugo froze as people stared at him. The train was doused in silence, but he couldn’t tell over the thundering heartbeats pounding in his ears. His scalp prickled and goosebumps broke out across his body, but he couldn’t yell back or punch her in her smug face, as it would only prove her point. Thankfully, the train stopped and the doors opened.

“I’ll prove that I’m not a damn villain!” He shouted before he fled the train.

The crowd around him parted when they saw his dark scowl, a vein popping in his forehead as he marched through the station. He furiously wiped the burn from his eyes and swallowed the thick lump in his throat. He’d show them!

“Bakugo, wait up!”

Ashido and Kirishima ran up to him.

“Hey man, did you hear about Jo—”

Bakugo whirled and grabbed Kirishima’s collar.

“Not. One. Word. About. Joker.” He hissed through gritted teeth.

“Uh…” Kirishima blinked several times, frowning. “Alright, dude! No talk about you-know-who! Got it!”

“Good.”

Bakugo released him, turning on his heel to leave the station. Behind him, Ashido and Kirishima exchanged uneasy glances, then raced to catch up with him.

“Soo…” Ashido said amidst the tense silence. “Final exams! I’m totally not ready for them! Who even has time to study!?”

“Right?” Kirishima glanced in between Ashido and Bakugo. “Hey dude, do you think you can help me study?”

“Fine. Whatever.” Bakugo shoved his hands in his pockets. “But I’m not gonna go easy on you, you hear!? I’ll kick your ass if you fail!!”

“Yeah!!’ Kirishima shouted. “Bring it on! I even have a good place where we can study!”

Bakugo rolled his eyes as they came up to the U.A. gates.

“Hey, you better not be talking about the Blue Lotus!” Ashido shouted as she stepped through the threshold with Kirishima. “I might pop in just to see Kurusu! But… my mom would get mad if I don’t at least _try_ to study. She wasn’t very happy about my last test scores…”

Bakugo stepped into the school grounds, grunting as a sharp pain pierced his skull. He clutched his head as he stumbled, his vision wavering. Bakugo slowly breathed out as the ringing in his ears faded, and he looked up at the school. The entire world shifted like heat waves all around him, and for a split second, the sky flickered a murderous red.

Bakugo scrubbed at his eyes and everything was normal when he looked back up. 

Did he just imagine it?

“Bakugo! You alright, dude?” Kirishima called.

“I’m _fine!”_ He shoved past them and called over his shoulder. “Let’s just get to class! I’m blaming you losers if we’re late!”

“H-hey, wait for us!”

“Don’t leave us behind!!”

They scrambled after him, oblivious to the migraine that would plague him all day.

~*~*~*~

“Your report?”

“Y-yes, sir!” The doctor bowed his head to All For One. “It’s just as we predicted! Joker truly has magnificent powers! And the possibility of his feline companion having similar powers is higher than I originally believed.”

“Indeed.” All For One chuckled. “What of the riots in Tokyo?”

“Ah, well…” The doctor rubbed his hands together. “Most people have calmed down since Joker’s resurgence, so we’ll have to be more careful when it comes to obtaining fresh materials for the Nomu. Our operations continue as normal for other regions. It’s nothing that Giran and Kurogiri can’t handle, of course!”

“Hmm,” All For One grinned. “And our newest addition? Has Giran gotten through to him yet?”

“Yes! He seems interested, especially in Joker. He shouldn’t take much longer to get here.”

“Good, bring him straight to me when he arrives. If that’s all, then you can return to your work.”

“Yes! Thank you very much!!”

The doctor bowed his head and left his master in peace. The thick door screeched closed, and he was alone amidst the sea of beeping machines. All For One slowly turned his chair, so that he was facing the myriad of screens. Most were tuned into news stations talking about the vigilante.

“Hmm, what an enigma. Doesn’t he see the rift he’s creating in society? No matter how far I extend my reach, there is no information about this boy, either. It’s like he never existed.” All For One leaned back in his chair as he tried to put the pieces of this exquisite puzzle together. “His quirk really is like no other that I’ve seen. It’s almost otherworldly.”

If he had eyes, they would’ve widened in realization.

“Items which had no ties with quirks, and yet their affects are almost magical. Hmm, magic?”

_‘Hmph, my healing magic is the best in the stock.”_

_“Did you say magic? Don’t you mean a quirk?”_

_“I-”_ Something had cut the woman off. _“Yes, that is what I meant. My abilities are powerful, but it is Joker who commands them. My eternal vow stands with him, and him alone.”_

“Why did she imply that it was the work of magic? Why get so defensive when he called it a quirk?” His finger tapped against the arm of his chair. “Strange readings at U.A. A suave vigilante that has taken the public by storm, almost as if he has experience with such things. Yet that should be impossible without records. Yaldabaoth. A false, evil god should have no connection to any of this. The pieces are all in front of me, but how to they connect?”

Joker was an interesting enigma. Enigmas _must_ be eliminated at all cost. Either the mysterious boy would bend his knee, or he would be eradicated completely and All For One would have a wonderful new power. Perhaps Joker would make a nice pet Nomu for Tomura.

Speaking of his protege, Kurogiri was still cleaning up the mess from the boy’s latest tantrum over Joker.

Himiko Toga sat on the bar and kicked her legs, grinning as she harassed Kurogiri.

The only other one in the bar was Dabi, who lurked in the farthest corner away from the other two.

“A push here, a little nudge there, and the Enigma will be one step closer to checkmate.” All For One grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, I’ll have to speak with Giran and have Dabi do a job for me.” 

He leaned back in his chair, his chest bubbling with renewed excitement.

“Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve had so much fun.” 

~*~*~*~

“—Crime rate has fallen drastically in Musutafu since the aftermath of the raid. Some experts believe that the show of Joker’s overwhelming power is the root cause, while others believe it is the influx of top heroes who are scouting the city for him.”

Demizu Mika shuffled her papers as she went to the next topic.

“In other news, the Hero Commission has made no official statement on the raid or the mass healing from Musutafu General. We reached out to them for comments, but we have yet to receive a reply. We’ll have more on these groundbreaking details, as they emerge.”

“Aand… we’re off the air!”

The studio was a whirlwind of activity as the cameras shut off and the crew broke for lunch.

She sighed as she leaned back into the chair. She stared at the papers in front of her, fingers brushing the calling card she lifted from a police officer earlier that night.

“Joker…” She skimmed the card once more.

Crime rate was down, but she knew that the smarter villains would work in the shadows. They were more frightening than the rampaging lunatics that normal daytime heroes would take care of. Would Joker be able to handle these types of criminals, or was he all just for show? Her journalistic instincts told her the former. Whatever might happen, she was prepared to tell the world about it. 

“Hey, Demizu-san!” Her agent approached, a stern woman of short stature. “Don’t dawdle, or somebody will take your bento from the break room again!”

“C-coming!”

She shuffled the papers and stuck the calling card within her jacket pocket, before racing off towards the break room.

If Joker could heal so many people, then maybe there would be some hope for her son after all.

~*~*~*~

Akira stirred multiple pots of curry as Ayumu darted between stoves, taking out fresh batches of sugary treats before throwing in the next.

“I honestly didn’t think that this many people would come today.” Akira said to fill in the silence.

“We put an ad in the paper, but I’m surprised too.” Ayumu wiped sweat from his forehead as he shut the stove. “I like to think that food brings people together, and good food is what they need after everything this city just went through.”

“Oh, right.”

Akira turned back towards the curry, a knot in his stomach churning.

“Hey, kid.”

Akira glanced over his shoulder. Ayumu stared at him with an unusually soft expression. He shook his head and heaved a sigh.

“You know it’s not your fault, right?”

“Not my fault..?” Akira furrowed his brow.

“Is that curry finished yet?” Risumi popped her head in the kitchen. “We’re running short up here!”

“Coming!”

Akira snatched up some pot holders, grunting as he took one of the heavy dishes out front, Ayumu was behind him with another and they placed them in the display. The cafe was bustling with the lunch crowd.

“I’ll restock the display, too.” Ayumu said as he ducked back into the kitchen.

“What do you need me to do?”

“I’ll handle the line.” Risumi smiled as she handed the next customer their coffee. “You take other orders out to the tables. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“Great!” She gestured towards a loaded tray. “That order goes to table eleven. Hop to it, Kurusu!”

“On it!”

He swept up the tray and delivered it to the table, smiling as he handed out their plates. The blue skinned girl at the table blushed as he set the curry in front of her, stammering out her thanks. He chuckled, and her face turned crimson.

Risumi shook her head as he went behind the counter for the next order, giving him a high five as he went back out into the fray. They did this song and dance for the next several minutes, until the chaotic line was almost depleted and most of the tables were served.

“Alright, last one.” Risumi looked down list on the counter. “Two orders of the Leblanc Special with the house blend to table sixteen.”

Akira nodded and got to work, preparing the coffee as Risumi scooped the curry. She gave him a high five before he went out to the floor. It should have been like any other order. Everything _should have been fine_. Akira looked up at sixteen, one of the few tables tucked beside a window, where one could relax back and watch people out on the streets.

A cold spike of terror stopped him dead in his tracks.

Leaning back against the cushions, were Detective Tsukauchi and Eraserhead. They talked softly back and forth, but the ringing in Akira’s ears drowned out all sound. His heart pounded and a cold sweat broke out across his body.

 _“It’s them!!”_ Titania hissed. _“What are they doing here!?”_

 _“No… do they know the Trickster’s identity?”_ Byakko growled.

 _“But,”_ Alice shook her head. _“They shouldn’t know anything!”_

 _“Remain calm.”_ The Caped Warrior commanded. _“Let’s not rush into this blindly!”_

 _“Hmm?”_ Yatagarasu took to the sky. _“What’s going on? Is something_ —”

A harrowing scream of rage cut him off. The others cried out as power _exploded_ from Arsene in a cataclysmic sea of cursed energy, chains creaking and groaning around him. The essence of something darker lingered below the surface, like a sealed demon lord clawing its way to freedom.

Pain stabbed through Akira’s head and he fought against the wave of dizziness that made the world go wobbly.

 _“How dare they tread in our domain!?”_ Arsene howled as he splayed his wings and leapt forth. _“I’ll show them the error of their ways!!”_

_“Arsene, no!”_ Shiva shouted as he lunged for Arsene’s arm. _“You must calm down!”_

Arsene whipped back around, his facial markings boiling over with volcanic rage. _“Let me go!”_

 _“No!”_ Shiva said. _“Think through this clearly!”_

 _“I am thinking clearly!”_ Arsene beat his wings, sending more lancing pain through Akira’s head as Shiva was blown back. _“Clearly enough that I know they need to pay for Kohryu!!”_

Yatagarasu screeched as he was ripped from reality. He tumbled and rolled into a pathetic heap in the mindscape, unmoving.

 _“Yatagrasu!”_ Alice skid to a stop and gently picked him up. _“Are you okay!?”_

 _“I-I’m fine…”_ He warbled.

Arsene never noticed, instead lunging towards freedom, his wings and claws calling for blood. His body coursed with the full power of a Maeigaon.

 _“Arsene, no!”_ Akira forced back the flood with just his willpower alone, but the dam was cracking.

 _“Trickster, let me out!”_ Arsene howled as he beat his wings. _“Let me exact justice!”_

_“No! Not here!”_ Sweat trickled down Akira’s brow as Arsene screamed. _“Not… here!!”_

Akira was frozen as he battled against his other self.

Any breath, any twitch of his fingers or a slight change in posture, and he would lose control over Arsene. The air became heavier as the cracks deepened, and Arsene’s cursed power escaped into the real world. A sense of dread trickled through the cafe and people shivered at the change in temperature. The shadows churned as if they had a mind of their own.

Meanwhile, Aizawa was on high alert. The atmosphere had changed so suddenly and every fiber of his being told him to _run_. It was as if he were a helpless rabbit, but a moment away from being snapped up by a voracious wolf. His hand went up to his scarf as he looked out across the cafe. 

There, standing in the center holding a tray, was a familiar boy, his blazing golden eyes were glowing as bright as the sun. His pupils were pinpricks behind his glasses. The source of the raw _killing intent_ flowed from the barista.

And those eyes….

They seemed so familiar and yet he couldn’t place them, laced with pain and pure _fear_.

Suddenly, an unknowable piece of himself clicked into place, as if some hidden part was always there, and yet it had just broken free. An invisible veil had been ripped away. Now, the truth was obvious. Aizawa jolted to the edge of his seat.

 _“Joker_.” He whispered under his breath.

“What?” Tsukauchi’s head snapped towards him, eyes wide. “What are you—”

Tsukauchi battled against the shivers as he followed Aizawa’s gaze. The man went as white as a ghost, hissing as he put a hand on his temple.

The rest of the world fizzled out as the three of them were locked in a staring contest. They waited with bated breath, but nobody moved. Not Aizawa or Tsukauchi, and certainly not Akira.

But Akira was losing his battle.

He hadn’t felt such painsince he first awakened to Arsene, and now trying to hold the persona back was tearing him apart at the seams. 

Arsene’s influence wriggled through the widening cracks, his fury was nigh unstoppable. He was about to burst into the real world, dark magic and deadly claws howling for recompense, when the flood was stemmed by golden scales.

~*~*~*~

“Arsene!” A voice of thunder rolled through the mindscape. “Calm yourself! This is not how the Trickster’s true other self should act.”

Arsene jumped back as he was surrounded in a sea of glittering gold.

“Kohryu!?” Arsene’s wrath ebbed away with relief. “How are you... no, are you alright!?”

“I am as well as I can be at this moment.” The great dragon’s snort ruffled Arsene’s feathers. “However, my rest was disturbed by… this. What madness has consumed you, Arsene?”

Kohryu protectively coiled his body around the other personas, as if to shield them from Arsene’s wrath. Shiva was on his knees, shaking his head as if dazed. He saw the glint of fear in Alice’s eyes, huddling Yatagarasu to her chest, before Kohryu’s body blocked his view.

A cold sea of shame swirled in Arsene’s heart.

“Release the Trickster, Arsene.” Kohryu’s blood red eyes were filled with sorrow. “You are doing more harm than good. Can you not see how much pain he is in? How your powers ooze into reality? Cease this at once!”

“I…” Arsene’s power wilted, his wings drooping. “But what about those men? They deserve every ounce of pain for harming you and the Trickster! They—”

“I have forgiven them.”

“You—” Arsene stiffened. “You _what_?”

“I forgave them.” Kohryu reiterated, and one of his whiskers brushed Arsene’s arm. “Remember your own words at that warehouse, Arsene. ‘An enemy who knows how to turn your emotions against you will be your downfall.’ Are your emotions not out of control right now? You need to soothe your wrath for the Trickster’s sake. Allow me to be his mask, so that this situation can be salvaged.”

“I don’t understand you sometimes, Old Boy.” Arsene muttered. “Fine. I shall fall back, for _now_.”

Arsene’s rage dwindled like the last dying embers in a campfire, and he faded to the depths of Akira’s mindscape. 

~*~*~*~

The world spun as Arsene’s overbearing presence vanished, and Akira had full control of himself once more. He summoned every iota of willpower to keep calm as the heavy air lifted. The cafe’s ambience returned to normal, with many brushing the odd feeling off.

_“Trickster.”_

_“Kohryu!? Are you… what just happened?”_

_“There’s no time to explain._ ” Kohryu’s presence grounded Akira. _“Let’s hurry and serve them, so that their suspicion doesn’t grow.”_

It felt like he’d been standing here for an eternity, when in reality it had been but a few seconds. His knuckles were white and the tray creaked as he clutched it for dear life. His heart pounded as Aizawa and Tsukauchi gaped at him.

His composure was like a taught string, so close to snapping.

Finally, the spell was broken and he stepped forward. Table sixteen was so dead silent that the clatter of dishes was akin to claws raking a chalkboard. The two men stared blankly, and Akira smiled bright despite the churning sea of emotions choking him.

Despite his sweating palms, his composure _could not_ snap.

“Enjoy the food, gentlemen.”

He tucked the tray under his arm and left, his footsteps as quiet as a phantom’s. Their gazes dug into his back as he walked to the counter. Risumi gaped at him as he put the tray away.

“Kurusu,” She looked in between him and table sixteen. “What just happened? Are you alright?”

His composure _couldn’t snap_.

“What are you talking about?” He laughed as he plastered on a bright grin. “Of course I am. Is it okay if I go on break now?”

Risumi paled.

It was just a little white lie. The same ones he told Sojiro after Sae helped him escape that interrogation room, full of bruises and cracked bones, his veins pumped with drugs. Nothing smiles and a little makeup couldn’t hide. Why should this be any different? 

“I…” She adjusted her glasses with a deep frown. “Go ahead. The office is unlocked.” 

“Thanks!”

He left the bustling cafe behind. The silence of the hallway leading to the office was unnaturally loud. Akira opened the office door with a shaky hand, and it shut behind him with a soft _thump_. The office was the same as ever, with a small couch and coffee table in the corner. Ayumu’s desk was lined with knick knacks.

He stood within the too quiet room until…

His composure _snapped._

Akira collapsed against the wall and slowly slid to the ground, grasping his hair. The heavy lump in his throat suffocated him as he tried to breathe, and came out as wheezing gasps. How could they _not_ know who he is after that? Arsene had only been a hair’s breadth away from materializing in the real world!

What should he do? Should he run? But if he ran and they called in reinforcements to burst into the cafe after him….

No.

_No._

He should stay and fight. He wouldn’t allow Risumi or Ayumu to get hurt because of him! But… but they wouldn’t ever forgive him if their cafe was destroyed. It would be _his_ fault. It was _always his_ fault! _His_ fault that his friends were stranded who knows where, his fault for being weak and not finishing Yaldabaoth in time, _his fault_ for sticking his nose in this world’s business and allowing so many people to get hurt! 

_“Ren.”_ Kohryu brushed his anxiety away in one sweeping breath. _“Calm yourself. I promise that you are safe.”_

 _“Kohryu.”_ Tension drained from Akira’s shoulders and his hands fell from his hair. _“Why would you think I’m safe? They saw me! They know who I am!”_

 _“Perhaps they do.”_ Kohryu’s power settled further in Akira’s bones, crushing his dread. _“But remember Kaito and Detective Tsukauchi’s words. Those two men never wished you harm. They were not the ones to set all of those other heroes upon you, nor are they the type to take any drastic action that would lead to your demise.”_

_“Wait, how would you know all of that? Haven’t you been sleeping?”_

_“I am thou, thou art I.”_ Kohryu’s chuckle was like the earth breaking. _“I may have been resting, but your knowledge is my own.”_

_“But… what about you? How do you feel about them?”_

_“As I told Arsene, I have forgiven them.”_

_“You— How!?”_ Akira took off his glasses and scrubbed his eyes. _“How can you forgive them so easily after all of the pain we went through!?”_

 _“It comes with age, little one.”_ The ancient dragon nodded. _“I will not force you, but as your mask I hope that you will find it within yourself to forgive them, in due time. Confidants might feel different in this world, but you would not have forged such things if you didn’t feel a deep connection with someone, no?”_

 _“That’s…”_ Akira massaged his forehead. _“That’s beside the point!”_

_“Is it? How so?”_

Akira had no refuting words, so he shook his head wildly. _“How are the others? I felt Yatagarasu being forced back because of Arsene.”_

 _“I am… alright.”_ Yatagarasu croaked from atop Alice’s shoulder. _“Nothing that I cannot brush off.”_

Shiva shook his head. _“I’ll be fine, too.”_

_“And Arsene?”_

…

….

_“...Arsene?”_

_“Give him time.”_ Kohryu said. _“Like yourself, there are many emotions he must sort through.”_

_“I guess…”_

Akira jumped when there was a sudden knock on the door.

_“Our time has run short, but remember my words, Trickster.”_

Kohryu fell silent, but his presence encased Akira like a warm blanket. The door opened, and Ayumu glanced around the office, frowning when he saw Akira sitting on the floor.

“Hey,” Ayumu closed the door. “Risumi told me what happened. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Akira stood and put his glasses back on. “Why would you ask?”

“Maybe because you were on the floor at the verge of a panic attack? I know what they look like.”

Akira avoided his eyes. “I said I’m fine.”

“Alright, if you say so.” Ayumu reached into his pocket and held something out for Akira. “Here, those guys didn’t stay long, but they left a hefty tip for you.”

“They did?”

Akira thumbed through the bills. 5000 yen, almost triple the price of the meal itself.

“Did you know them?”

“...No.”

“Hmm, a pretty generous tip from complete strangers, then.” Ayumu shrugged and walked past Akira to sit at his desk. “But I won’t pry.”

Akira glanced at his only escape. “...Does Risumi need help?”

“Nah, the lunch rush is pretty much over. She can handle the rest.” Ayumu leaned back in his chair and stared at Akira. “Besides, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something, and now would be a good time. Go ahead and sit.”

Akira shuffled on his feet, awkwardly clutching the small wad of bills. He sank into one of the chairs and waited. The man heaved a heavy sigh and leaned forward.

“I want to apologize.”

Akira furrowed his brow. “What for?”

“I won’t sugar coat it.” Ayumu shook his head. “I treated you like shit when you first started working here.”

“It’s fine.” Akira shrugged and stared down at his lap. “I’m used to people treating me like that.”

“No, it’s not. Kurusu, you know that you don’t deserve any of that, right?” The man scratched the back of his head when Akira didn’t answer. “Look, I know how you feel, and the way I treated you, hell, nearly landing you out of a job, was pretty damn hypocritical of me.”

Akira looked up at him. “Hypocritical?”

“Yep.” Ayumu folded his hands together and nodded. “This society loves flashy, physical based quirks, but people get scared when a quirk can mess with your mind. They treat you as…. less than human. They assume the worst because of something you had no control over. Risumi and I have faced a lot of bullshit to get where we are today, but it’s even worse with Hitoshi’s generation.”

“Because of his brainwashing quirk?”

“Right.” Ayumu’s eyes hardened. “He doesn’t talk to us about it, but we can see when he has a bad day. I think one of the reasons why he looks up to you so much is because you’ve treated him with respect, something that people like us don’t get very often.”

Akira bit the inside of his cheek.

“I treated you the same way that my peers have treated me for years, just because you were labeled as quirkless.” Ayumu glared down at his desk. “I acted like the very people I loathed for so long, and that’s why I said I was being hypocritical. I understand if you don’t want my apology, though.”

Akira was quiet for a moment, before he stood.

“I accept your apology.” He said with a tiny smile. “Most people don’t even get that far.”

“Really?” Ayumu blinked rapidly, then smirked. “I’m actually relieved. I didn’t think you would forgive me that easy, and I honestly wouldn’t have blamed you.”

Akira stiffened. “Forgive that easily…?”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Akira glanced over at the door. “I think I took a long enough break. I don’t want Risumi to get mad at me.”

“Alright. Yeah, she’s scary when she’s angry.” Ayumu chuckled. “Oh, and Kurusu?”

Akira paused with the door half open, looking over his shoulder with a raised brow. Ayumu leaned forward, his expression suddenly serious.

“You do good work out there, kid. Keep it up.”

Akira tilted his head. “What, serving coffee and curry?”

“Yeah, sure.” Ayumu’s face twisted in amusement. “Serving coffee and curry.” 

Ayumu waved him off, and he left the office more confused than not. He took two steps down the hall and stopped. It wouldn’t be hard for him to slip out through the kitchen, _unnoticed_. The alleyways around here were like a maze, and thanks to Yatagarasu’s hard work, he had memorized most of them.

_“Allow me to survey the area, Trickster.”_

_“Are you sure? I felt how strained our bond was when Arsene did… that.”_

_“Hmph!_ ” Yatagarasu proudly puffed out his chest feathers. _“It’s nothing a little fresh air can’t cure!”_

_“...Alright then.”_

Akira crept through the kitchen like a ghost.

 _“I believe that we are safe enough for you to continue working.”_ Kohryu said. _“But it never hurts to be cautious.”_

 _“Grandpa…”_ Alice said, frowning.

 _“I would usually believe in your judgement, Kohryu.”_ Titania whispered. _“But I admit that your trust in these humans would put the Trickster in grave danger. I don’t agree with it.”_

 _“Hmph, for once you and I see eye to eye.”_ Ishtar muttered.

Byakko growled. _“Let’s listen to Kohryu’s reasoning first, before we judge.”_

 _“And if Titania is right?”_ Vasuki reared his head and hissed. _“I would rather drown them in a sea of unending filth then risk putting the Trickster in harms way!”_

_“Or free-hee-ze them in a glacier, ho!!”_

_“Wait. Unless…”_ Ishtar looked up at Kohryu, eyes narrowed. _“Do you trust those men because one of them is the Hierophant Arcana?”_

_“That is correct. Eraserhead is the one who wields it.”_

Akira froze at the door leading to the alley.

 _“You’re not serious.”_ He said with a scowl. _“He’s nothing like Sojiro!”_

_“No, he is not Sojiro, but that doesn’t mean that Sojiro is the only one who can be the Hierophant. We are in another world, Trickster, and new bonds have been forged. I know you feel them, too.”_

Akira shook his head as he threw the door open. He looked up and down the desolate alleyway, his anger flaring as he kicked a can down the alleyway, the metal grating against the concrete. Sadness emanated from Kohryu as he paced in quick circles.

“Damnit.” He muttered as he held out his arm, and Yatagarasu materialized.

The bird shook off the lingering embers, feathers frayed.

Akira’s anger simmered down as he carefully smoothed Yatagarasu’s feathers, with the bird happily warbling and shaking his tail feathers.

“Maybe you should rest.” Akira said with one last pat to the bird’s head. “You look rough.” 

“No, I won’t quit in your hour of need! I shall take to the sky once more!” Yatagarasu flared his wings. “But… what shall you do?”

“I…” Akira huffed as he weighed his options. “I’ll continue working, but you let me know if you see anybody acting strange around the Blue Lotus. Morgana and I put escape plans in place for a reason.”

“Got it. Leave it to me, Trickster!”

Yatagarasu leapt and beat his wings, disappearing over the rooftops within seconds. Akira adjusted his glasses and went back inside, smiling at Risumi when he returned to the front. He knew she was watching him from the corner of her eye, but he easily fell back into the motions, albeit with shaky hands.

Still, if they tried anything, he would be ready this time.

~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, two men walked down the busy street.

Neither of them had said anything for the past twenty minutes, not even to express their surprise at the food quality of that cafe. No, the _real_ reason for their stilted conversation was because of the barista. They walked side by side, street by street, until they reached Tsukauchi’s apartment.

Tsukauchi calmly unlocked the door and they went inside. He tossed his keys on the side table as Aizawa trailed into the kitchen, dead silent as he collapsed in the nearest chair. Tsukauchi joined him and placed his hands on the table. They looked at each other with wide eyes.

“You don’t think—”

“No way.”

“But you felt that when you saw him too, right?” Tsukauchi asked. “Like… like something shifted in the world? And his eyes were glowing gold, just like Joker’s.”

“Yeah. And that pure killing intent was overwhelming… but it looked as if he was in pain or trying to hold something back. He was scared.”

“...I’ve never seen a kid so afraid of us before.”

“But Joker having a job _that_ close to U.A. would be—” Aizawa shot up from his chair, eyes growing wider. “No, that’s _exactly_ like something Joker would do. He’s been under our noses the whole time!”

“God damnit.” Tsukauchi hid his face in his hands. “What do we do now?”

“You know what’ll happen if the Hero Commission knew where he was. It’ll be the raid disaster all over again! If he gets captured this time, and that’s a big _if_ , then without Nezu’s program, he would be….”Aizawa shook his head. “That’s a fate worse than death.”

“And if we don’t tell anybody?”

“ _What_?”

“Think about it, Aizawa.” Tsukauchi furiously paced around the kitchen. “This could be our chance to get close to him, on _his_ terms. No other heroes, no threat to his immediate safety. It would be between the two of us and the barista of that cafe.”

“That… could work, but we need more information.”

“You said your students go there. Do you think they would have information?”

Aizawa flinched. “No, that would be impossible. There’s no way my students would keep something like this from me.”

“I know.” Tsukauchi said softly. “But the possibility is still there.”

“I’ll keep an eye on them.” Aizawa sighed. He was too tired for this. “I don’t like suspecting my own kids.”

“I wouldn’t ask them about it directly, so I have another idea.” Tsukauchi said. “Akane goes there almost every day, we could get a background check and I could ask Akane to keep an eye on him. He’s good at that sort of thing and he knows how to be subtle.”

“We won’t tell Akane who the kid is, right?”

“Right. We should keep this to ourselves for the time being.” Tsukauchi took a deep breath and placed his hands on his hips. “Does that sound like a plan?”

“Yeah, for now.” Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. “I just can’t believe it. After _everything_ he pulled, he still has the gall to work daytime shifts as a _barista_ , and practically in the _shadow of a hero school_ to boot.”

“It sounds ridiculous when you put it that way.”

Aizawa glared at him, but it had no real heat. “Because this whole situation _is_ ridiculous!”

“We’re going to need so much coffee for this.” Tsukauchi sighed as he looked at his coffee maker with a grimace. “But I’ll never see normal coffee in the same way ever again.”

“After Joker’s coffee was practically the Nectar of the Gods? I don’t think so either, but we’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Or maybe visit the cafe more often?” Tsukauchi asked. “We can show Joker that we mean no harm that way.”

Aizawa slowly tilted his head to the side.

“Okay, a part of me is saying that you want to get closer to the kid and show him we’re harmless,” Aizawa narrowed his eyes. “...And the other part is telling me that you just want more of his coffee. The curry wasn’t bad, either.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong?” Tsukauchi rubbed the back of his head. “That was the _best_ coffee I’ve ever had. You can’t tell me that you don’t feel the same way.”

Aizawa turned his back to Tsukauchi and buried his face in his capture weapon.

“Oh, _definitely_.” Aizawa muttered. “But we can’t rush into this blindly. We’ll have to be extremely careful from here on out.”

“Because there’s still the chance that he’ll run?”

“Exactly.”

“And that would put us back to square one.” Tsukauchi massaged his forehead. “Why does everything with Joker have to be so complicated?”

“...Like trying to get a feral cat to trust you.” Aizawa said with a nod.

Tsukauchi looked at him, exasperated. “Joker is _not_ a cat!”

“It was a figure of speech, Tsukauchi.” Aizawa idly scratched at his stubble. “But you can’t deny the comparison.”

Tsukauchi only shook his head and sighed.

They had a plan, now they just needed patience and the luck of the gods on their side to pull it off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up on March 6th!
> 
> EDIT: Like I said with a few of the lovely commenters, nobody in the MHA universe is going to get a persona. There's something else going on here ;)
> 
> Edit #2: Here's also a list of the revealed personas and their arcana - Arsene (Fool), Seth (Tower), Cerberus (Chariot), Yatagarasu (Sun/Councillor), Alice (Death), Kohryu (Hierophant), Titania (Empress), Ishtar (Lovers), Byakko (Temperance), Vasuki (Hanged Man), Black Frost (Fool), Shiva (Judgement), and Orpheus (Fool). 
> 
> There are still a few personas that haven't been revealed yet. Did I slightly expand the stock to squeeze in a few more favorite personas in this story? Absolutely. Do I regret it? Absolutely not ;D


End file.
